Odis Miller Howard

Odis M. Howard, Sr. was born June 22, 1927, in Atlanta, Georgia, to the late Henry Howard, Sr.
and Eliza Wiggs Howard. He was the second of nine children born to this union: Henry Jr., Odis,
Daisy, Alice, Annie, Marian, Shirley, and James.

Odis attended David T. Howard Junior High School and Booker T. Washington High School,
graduating with the Class of 1947. While in high school, Odis was drafted into the Army, where
he proudly served his country as a veteran of World War II, stationed in Germany.

He continued his education at Morris Brown College, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree
in Biology in 1952. While at Morris Brown College, he met and married his college sweetheart,
Henrietta Stocks. Odis and Henrietta were married for 60years until her passing in 2012. From
this loving union, they were blessed with three children: Donna, Shari, and Odis Jr.

Odis began his professional career as a General Science teacher for two years. He later joined
the United States Postal Service, where he dedicated 32 years of faithful service. He was among
the first African Americans to serve as a Postal Supervisor and one of the first black Station
Managers in the Atlanta Postal Service.

Odis was a devoted and long-term member of the Lutheran Church of the Atonement. He was
part of the church's first confirmation class in 1960 and served faithfully in many leadership
roles, including:

Two terms as Congregational President
Three terms as Vice President
10 terms as Secretary
Five years on the Synod Council
Delegate to the 1988 Churchwide Assembly in St. Louis, Missouri
Deacon and Pastor's Assistant

He was also a member of the Men's Chorus and served four years on the Churchwide Men in
Mission board. In his leisure time, Odis enjoyed walking, gardening, baking fruitcakes, making
pear preserves, and canning sweet cucumber spears.

Odis was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Henrietta; his son, Odis Jr.; his grandson Justin
Mitchell; his parents, Henry and Eliza Howard; his brothers, Henry Jr. and James Howard; and
his sisters, Daisy Noel and Margaret Bowden.

He leaves to cherish his memory: his loving daughters, Donna Stepherson and Shari Mitchell;
his grandsons, Horace Allen III and Jayson Howard; his granddaughters, Jimea Evans and Kristin
Mitchell; his sisters: Alice Denham, Ann Henderson, Marion Taggart, and Shirley Robinson, along
with a host of loving relatives and friends.

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