Lenore Howard, Williamsburg, passed away following a brief illness on Saturday, Jan. 13, 2018, at Olathe Medical Center surrounded by her family.
Osa Lenore Veix Howard was born Aug. 1, 1935 in Ottawa, the fifth and youngest child of Silas Adam and Edith Catherine Caleb Veix.
Lenore grew up and attended school in Ottawa with the class of 1953 and attended Haskell Indian School in Lawrence.
In the summer of 1954, she was married to Master Sergeant Ernest Ned Melvin. They were the parents of three children born to this union: Mick, Julie, and Susie. They were later divorced. She was then married to C. “Snuffy” Smith and one daughter, Carol, was born to this union. That marriage ended in divorce. Next, she was married to Raymond Daugharthy and they had one daughter, Kathy. This marriage also ended in divorce. In 1972, she was married to Donald “Bus” Howard and they were together until his untimely death on Sept. 28, 2001.
When she was a young woman, Lenore worked as a hospital nurse’s aide. She was a stay-at-home mother and housewife while her children were young. After marriage to Bus Howard she worked at Iowa Beef Processing in Emporia and they ran a ranch at Strong City living on the ranch for many years. In 1987, they moved to the Kansas City area and resided in Bonner Springs for the next several years where both were employed as heavy equipment operators working through the Local Operating Engineers International Union No. 101. Following their retirement in 1996, they moved back to her husband’s hometown of Williamsburg to continue their love of raising horses, which Lenore enjoyed until the time of her death. She was also a member of and active in the Williamsburg United Methodist Church and UMW (United Methodist Women’s Club.) She loved fishing, especially with her kids and grandkids, and gardening. She was also a great cook and baker and she had a huge love for animals.
Lenore is survived by one son, Michael Blane “Mick” Melvin, Iola; and four daughters, Julie Jo Fox of Vassar, Susan Dale Wilkinson of rural Princeton, Carol Ann Jones of Williamsburg, and Kathy Rae Arnold of Gardner; two nieces, Debbie Livingston of Ottawa and Julie Kay Veix of Lawrence; two stepsons, Rick Howard of Williamsburg and Mike Howard of Oklahoma City; and one stepdaughter, Karen Howard Rodriguez of Dallas.
Lenore is also survived by 17 grandchildren: Mallory Michelle Melvin Watkins, Marielle Maureen Melvin, Mack Joseph Melvin, Marah Lenann Melvin McFadden, Jeffrey Adam Price, Phillip Michael Melvin, William “Billy” Coffman, Ryan Arnel Dodd, Brandy Dodd, James Robert “Jim Bob” Johnson, Joshua Reed Johnson, Clayton Eugene Gish, Lakin Renee Gish Beaty, Colton Chase Fall Johnston, Shiann Gunn Fall, Christian Arnold and Aireann Arnold; and by several step-grandchildren including Brent Yoder, Jeremy Yoder, Eric Yoder, Amy Nichole Howard and Adam Wade Howard.
Lenore is also survived by many great-grandchildren including: Klaira Gayle Hayes, River Glenn Watkins, Lennox Graham Watkins, Ethan Price, Emma Nicole Price, Kaylee May Melvin, Bailey Melvin and Khaleesi Morse.
She is survived by one great-niece, Robin Gooding, and by one great-nephew, Christopher Livingston.
Lenore was preceded in death by her paternal grandparents George and Louisa Wilson Veix and by her maternal grandparents Rufus and Mary Belle Hamm Caleb, all tribal members of the Munsee-Delaware Indians in Ottawa; her parents Silas Adam and Edith Catherine Caleb Veix; three brothers, U.S. Air Force Captain George L. Veix, Raymond A. Veix and Edwin B. Veix; one sister, Zelda Veix Livingston Marks; a granddaughter (and adopted daughter) Ciara McKinsey Gunn Howard; two grandsons, Dylan Reed Johnston and Kordero Dartanian Johnston; a nephew, Randy Joe Livingston; and her husband Donald M. “Bus” Howard.
Funeral services are being handled by Dengel and Sons Mortuary in Ottawa. Condolences may be sent to the family at the mortuary website. Cremation has taken place. Lenore’s family will receive friends and family at a visitation at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Williamsburg United Methodist Church in Williamsburg. Following the visitation, the funeral service and celebration of her life will take place at the church at 2 p.m. Directly thereafter, inurnment will be done at Mount Hope Cemetery near Williamsburg.
Dear Mom and Grandma, We’ll see you again and until then we’ll give you the words that you always said to us upon parting: “Love you to the moon and back.”
