Bernard Cecil Howard

Funeral service for Bernard Howard will be held 11:00 A.M. Thursday October 5, 2017 at Faith United Methodist Church in Spring Valley with Rev. David Lieder officiating. Burial will be at the Spring Valley Cemetery. Visitation will be held 5-7:30 P.M. Wednesday October 4, 2017 at the Faith United Methodist Church in Spring Valley and will continue for 1hr prior to the service at the church.

Bernard Cecil Howard, 90, of Spring Valley died peacefully, surrounded by his family, on Monday, October 2, 2017.

Bernard Howard was born on November 9, 1926 to Bert Howard and Gertrude (Kappers) Howard in Spring Valley Minnesota.  

Bernard met Anne Virginia (Burton) Howard while working for Reid Murdock.  The couple later married on February 8, 1945. They lived in Spring Valley until 1957 before moving to their farm North of Spring Valley where they farmed the rest of their married life.  Anne passed away on February 3, 2001 and Bernard continued to live and work at the farm until becoming a resident of the Spring Valley Care Center in August, 2017.

He started working for Hormel in 1944.  On March 9, 1945 he entered the United States Army and was stationed in the Philippines at the end of WWII.  Following the war he returned to Spring Valley and went back to work at Hormel until his retirement in 1982.  After his retirement he continued farming with his sons and owned Howard Farms Trucking.

Bernard and Anne enjoyed traveling to many places including Switzerland, Hawaii, and to Arizona and Texas in their motor home.  He was an avid antique tractor collector – especially his beloved John Deere’s.  He loved a good dinner followed by a slice of blueberry pie and usually kept a stash of Hershey candy bars close by.

Bernard is survived by his eight children Patricia (David) Warren of Spring Valley, Thomas (Mary Lou) Howard of Spring Valley, Robert (Mary)Howard of Stewartville, Deborah (Gary) Goettelman of Spring Valley, Dennis (Gwen) Howard of Spring Valley, Terry (Diane) Howard of Spring Valley, Kevin (Vickie) Howard, of Stewartville, and Tamera (Steven) Boone, of Racine; 26 grandchildren; 59 great grandchildren; and sisters Viola (Donald) Applen of Chatfield, Eileen (Edwin) Oeltjen of Stewartville.

He was preceded in death by his parents, wife Anne, a Sister Erma (Chet) Hahn, and one granddaughter Anne Louise.

In lieu of flowers please send memorials to American Diabetes Association or American Heart Association.

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