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| Born: | 5 Dec 1941 Harbor Springs, Michigan | |
| Died: | 18 Jun 2016 Orem, Utah | |
| Father: | Clifford Leroy Howse | |
| Mother: | Gertrude Caroline Catob | |
| Siblings: | Gertrude Joanne Howse Karlene Joyce Howse Arnold Leroy Howse | |
| Married: | 18 Sep 1959 Harbor Springs, Michigan | |
| Spouse: | Joanne Marie Heinz | |
| Children: | Bethany Anne Howse Darby Lee Howse Annette Marie Howse Clifford Leroy Howse Carey Lizabeth Howse Christopher Heinz Howse Arnold Price Howse Jody Jeffrey Howse Daniel Leslie Howse David Andrus Howse Andrew Michael Howse Timothy Donald Howse | |
Arnold Leroy Howse, loving son, brother, husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather, completed his mortal probation Saturday, June 18, 2016 at his home in Orem, Utah surrounded by half of his twelve children. He won the battle against a fast-growing glioblastoma, surpassing the doctor's expectations by five months.
Arnold was born Friday, December 5, 1941 at his parent's house on Third street in Harbor Springs, Michigan, the youngest of three children and only son of Clifford Leroy Howse and Gertrude Caroline Catob.
As a youth, Dad quickly showed his musical aptitude, taking up the trumpet at the suggestion of the band director, Joseph Jezisek. He played in a dance band and marched in parades as a band member for most of his life. In high school he also played football and was active in other school activities.
It was at High School in band class that he met his future wife, Joanne Marie Heinz. They were married in the Presbyterian Church at Harbor Springs on Friday, September 18, 1959. Together they shared their love of music with their children and community.
Arnold became a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1963 shortly before his graduation from college. He became a biology teacher at Carrollton High School in Saginaw and later taught at East Jordan High School. He and mom nurtured the gospel in Northern Michigan, where he eventually became Branch President and then the first Bishop of the Petoskey ward.
During the summer, Arnold worked as a fudge maker at Crump's Candies in Harbor Springs. In 1974 Arnold became the owner of the candy store and changed the name to Howse's Candy Haus. He retired from teaching and introduced Northern Michigan style fudge around the country, eventually opening shops in Provo, Utah, DelRay Beach, Florida and finally in Park City, Utah. His son Christopher, now runs the candy store in Harbor.Joanne passed away in 2006.
Arnold married Janis Heiner on February 6, 2009 in Orem, Utah. Together they adopted Janis' grandson, Taygan.
Arnold is survived by his wife and his children, Bethany Anne Downey (Brent), Darby Lee Robison (Stephen), Annette Marie, Clifford Leroy (Martha Hanneman), Carey Lizabeth Anderson (Mark), Christopher Heinz (Teresa Maxwell), Arnold Price (Carrie Bennett), Jody Jeffrey (Adria Hunt), Daniel Leslie (Mandy Quintero), David Andrus (Karen Peterson), Andrew Michael (Alicia Hansen), Timothy Donald (Luz Longoria), Taygan, his 64 grandchildren, and 25 great-grandchildren. Arnold is also survived by his sisters, Joanne Swiss (Gerry) and Karlene Marsh (Dennis). He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Joanne, and a granddaughter Christina Shell Howse.
Funeral services will be held at 11 am. Wednesday, June 22, 2016 in the LDS chapel, 114 S 400 W in Orem. A viewing will precede the services from 10 to 10:45 am. Interment will be in the Orem City Cemetery.
Biography:
Born in December of 1941, his mother's pregnancy kept his father from going into the service. As the first (and only) boy, he was the delight of his parents.
As a small boy, Arnold lived in a small house on Third St. in Harbor Springs, Michigan. This is where he was born, actually, and had his bed in his parents bedroom until they finally built a partition to give him his own room. This house was located across the street from the Catholic playground. It was at this house where he and his future wife, Joanne Heinz, made their first, conscious meeting. Cliff and Gertrude were having a party to sell Guardian Service-ware (aluminum pans) and they invited their old friends, Donna and Leslie Heinz, who had just moved back to the North Country and were living on Michigan St in Petoskey.
His Aunt Frieda Melching had loaned his young parents the money to buy the house and she was a frequent visitor and overseer of the family (self-appointed).
At the time Arnold was living at this home, the Harbor Springs Feed Store was still standing and functioning, at the nearby corner of Main and Third (where the present Post Office building now stands). The Dye family lived in the old house next to them on the corner and the Dye boys were among his earliest friends.
During this time period, Cliff worked at the tannery in Petoskey. The little family were very close-knit and enjoyed the typical outings of a Harbor Springs family; swimming and picnics at Menonaqua Beach and 5-Mile Creek. They went berry and mushroom picking and had many extended family get-togethers with both the Howse and the Catob relatives.
Birthdays and Christmas were major occasions! His parents made these times very special for their 3 youngsters. Christmas was done in the old, German tradition with Santa bringing the tree and all of the gifts after the children were fast asleep on Christmas Eve. The children were always treated to quite a spectacle when they awakened, as their parents always bought gifts that were the very most that they could manage.
When Arnold was 8 or 9, his parents moved their young family into the house that had been built by his grandfather, John Chudobba (Catob). His grandfather had lived his final years in the shop where he also had a tinsmith business. Uncle Karl Catob and his wife and boys had lived in the house briefly, prior to Grandpa's death.
Again, Aunt Frieda helped Cliff and Gertrude finance the buying of the home. She had a very good lookout, over the house, from her apartment home above the furniture store and kept close track of the family. (See Aunt Frieda's notes)
While living in the "big house", Arnold enjoyed a succession of bikes which his father presented him with. Going from first one to another motor scooter, he was usually smaller than the vehicle.
During this time, a wonderful man became the 'music department' at the Harbor Springs schools. Joseph Jezisek was hired as the singing teacher for the elementary grades as well as the band director. Since the band had dwindled to practically nothing, he had a major task ahead of him. Knowing this, he began actively recruiting young people from the school. Arnold was invited to play the trumpet and gladly accepted. Seeing the interest Arnold had in playing his instrument, his parents bought him a used trumpet from Bob Hall (which had been played, by Mr.Hall, in an Army Band). This instrument became Arnold's most prized possession. He was seen, and heard, playing it by anyone passing by his home for the next several years. Arnold was soon known by the townspeople for his special talent of playing his horn. And he was also known to his fellow band members as Jess's (as Mr. Jezisek was affectionately called) pride and joy. Arnold was often asked to play solos, both in band and in other local events. As the 'favored one', he was generally the person asked to direct and oversee the band if Jess had to leave, momentarily. For the final concert of Arnold's senior year, Joe Jezisek chose a closing song which included a very difficult, and showy, trumpet solo. Young Arnold declared it too difficult for him to play but Jess had his heart set on it and was determined that Arnold could do it. After much practicing, the evening finally arrived. The band played the first portion of the piece and then Arnold stood for his last high-school solo. As he began to beautifully play the intricately fingered notes, the audience was spellbound. Jess continued to direct with unashamed tears running down his face. Arnold played his heart out. He played the fancy runs and hit that final high note to the great pleasure of the director, the entire band and the community who had always taken great pride in the ability of the boy.
His best friends, as a teenager, were two boys who also played instruments in the band. Ronnie Niswander, who played the bass horn, and Gerald Wells, who played an alto saxophone. These three became bosom buddies and formed a small dance band. Their repertoir was made up, mostly, of old 30's and '40's music which had been left by the high school band of that time period. IN THE MOOD and other similar pieces became their trademark. The 3 friends, along with their band director, became a close group. Jess began a tradition of taking a trip, with the guys, each spring after school was out. These outings began with an overnight campout at Wilderness State Park, in Mackinac, and culminated, at the close of their senior year, with a trip to the U.P. and Canada in a refurbished school bus owned by Ronnie's parents.
Along with his band endeavors, Arnold also played high school football and performed in a high-school play, a cowboy comedy in which he played the now infamous "Stinkweed" and was a regular in the yearly school talent shows. As a youngster, he was seen painting in the window competition before Halloween. This was a regular tradition, in Harbor Springs, for several years. The youth of the town were invited to come down on a certain Saturday, early in October, and paint the picture of their choice on the assigned store window.
Arnold, being very artistically talented, was the winner of his age-group, one year. That same October, he was chosen as the winner of the Halloween costume contest, tho they decided to give the prize to another child, since he had just won the painting contest. His costume was an original, half girl-half boy outfit with the girl part of him adorned with wood-shaving curls.
With Arnold's gorgeous, long, dark, eyelashes and his flashing dimples, he was an unusually attractive young man. However, with all of these pluses going for him, he was extremely shy. Still, the students at Harbor High were often impressed with the flashy clothes he wore. Among the most memorable were; the red corduroy pants with the red pullover, V-neck sweater and the charcoal-grey pants with the pink belt and pink sweater.
Some of Arnold's treasured memories of his childhood were: riding the bus over to the tannery, on a summer's day, and eating lunch with his Dad; going fishing and hunting with him; and just "hanging out" with Cliff while he worked on a project in the shop or relaxed in the house. Cliff exited Arnold's life while yet a young man. Too early, by the reckonings of his family and friends- Cliff was only 42 when he died of colon cancer and Arnold yet a young boy of 15. Still Clifford had lived to see his boy become a fine, young man and had derived great pride from his accomplishments, especially his expertise with the trumpet. He was occasionally heard to make comments such as how the band just wasn't the same without their football-playing, first chair trumpet player, etc.
Living in down-town Harbor Springs, all of his growing up years, Arnold often spent time at the Harbor Springs Bathing Beach, where most of the young people of the time spent their spare time, in the summer. Still, probably because of his mother's fear of the lake, he did not learn to swim until after he was a grown man.
As a young teen, Arnold was a frequent attender of his family church, the First Presbyterian Church of Harbor Springs. An unusual occurrence, even in the '50's, Arnold was often seen at his family's regular pew even when his mother and sister, Karlene, were not in attendance. A lone teen-aged boy in church was a rare thing. Arnold often read from his Bible and considered things of a religious nature.
The young girl who sat observing him, from the choir loft, was that same little girl who had once visited Arnold and his mother as a new-born baby and again as a small, 6-year-old at a Guardian Service party. Her name was Joanne Heinz, and she was very much impressed with this unusual fellow.
Interestingly, Joanne had grown up next door to Arnold's paternal grandmother, Sarah Ellen Philips Overholt Howse. The two had become instant friends and had spent many hours discussing Sarah's life, including tales of her children, often including adoring comments of a mother for her youngest child, Clifford Leroy Howse. Joanne had developed a great fondness for Clifford, as well as the rest of his siblings, simply as a result of hearing these stories. Ironically, when Arnold took the Communicant's Class, with the Presbyterian minister, Dr. Lauren Brubaker, Joanne and one other boy, Harold Marshall, were the only members of the class. Attempting to strike up a conversation with the cute boy, after one of the early classes, Joanne found him to be painfully shy and unwilling to participate in a lengthy discussion. They were 12 and 13 years of age, at this time.
Finally, brought together once again because of band, Arnold and Joanne began to become special friends. Initially, Ronnie and Gerald, having seen that there was a spark of interest in their buddy, drove him to Joanne's home, one evening, and demanded that he go in and invite her for a ride. Joanne's parents noticed the car parked in front of their home and mentioned it to her. She went to her upstairs bedroom for a better view and, seeing what the situation was, she became very angry at his resistance and determined not to go with them if he did ever acquiesce. However, when Arnold was finally convinced to knock on the front door of Joanne's home, she was there and did join the boys for a brief ride around town. This was the first of many outings with Ron, Gerald, and, sometimes their current girl-friends. Actually, this was the only way that they could get anywhere as Arnold was only 15 and could not legally drive. Before he became 16, however, he was given a special driver's permit, as his father had died that summer and his mother did not drive. Soon the two young people were enjoying drives along Shore Drive and other less-patrolled roads.
It wasn't long before the general public could see that there was a long-term relationship brewing between young Arnold and Miss Heinz. When Joanne told a friend that she was considering becoming an elementary French teacher, the other girl commented, "Oh, Joanne, you will never be a teacher. You will marry Arnold and have 12 kids!" How prophetic!
A whirl-wind courtship followed, football games, band excursions, basketball games, picnics out on the beach, berry-picking, family dinners. 'Joanne and Arnold' became as familiar a phrase as 'Joanne and Donnie' had always been. Though 'Grandma' Howse had died in 1955, her grandson and one-time neighbor were beginning a gradual solidifying process.
Shortly after his high-school graduation, Arnold and Joanne were married. He began college that fall, in the initial year of the local community college, North Central Michigan College of Petoskey. The young couple rented a small cabin in Petoskey on Spring St. (where Villa Pizza now stands). They were delighted to finally be able to stay up late nights, Joanne making french fries and Arnold studying, or just being together was wonderful to them! Their social life was mainly going for rides and just talking.
After a year of living in the little cabin and attending school at NCMC, Joanne's father helped them finance the purchase of an 8x35' mobile home. This they hauled to the Heinz' back-yard where the young couple lived for the remaining time of his NCMC attendance. As they were in the process of purchasing the trailer home, the birth of an adorable baby girl occurred. Arnold, Leslie and Arnold's sister, Joanne, moved the couple's belongings into the trailer while Joanne and baby Bethany Anne were in the Little Traverse Hospital. This trailer provided the family with a comfortable and inexpensive home for their remaining college years.
Arnold was a frugal young husband and father in his attempt to accomplish getting an education. Besides attending his classes and doing the inevitable home-work, he had various part and full-time jobs, beginning with that of bus-boy job at Nubs Nob ski hill, in Harbor Springs, his first year of school and concluding with a job flipping burgers at a 10-cent hamburger stand in Mt.Pleasant called The Pixie. As a result of Joanne taking a summer job working at the fudge shop in Harbor Springs, Arnold began working summers for Mr. Crump at Crump's Candy. This was to prove to be a major turning point in the life of Arnold and his family as they entered into a long-term relationship with the shop.
During his college years, another sweet daughter was born to Arnold and Joanne- Darby Lee arrived shortly after Arnold transferred to Central. Now there were two well-loved little girls to amuse their parents and entertain one another. It was the beginning of a life-time friendship.
In the summer of 1962, Joanne was working at the resort cottage, on Harbor Point, of Mrs. Bentley. While in a religious discussion with Mrs. Bentley's daughter, Mrs, Whitlow, Joanne was disturbed with Mrs. Whitlow's comments as to her lack of belief in Jesus Christ being the Son of God. After struggling with religious questions for the remaining summer months, the Howses returned to Mt. Pleasant for the fall semester. In October, Joanne was visited by 2 Mormon elders. She soon accepted the teachings of these young men and was baptized on her 20th birthday, December 6, 1962.
Arnold was initially hostile to the idea of this strange religion but soon became interested and began studying with the missionaries. The following summer found Arnold and Joanne again in Harbor Springs, Arnold working at the fudge shop and Joanne on Harbor Point. They attended church in Traverse City, on occasional Sundays, but more often just stayed in their trailor home reading the Book of Mormon.
That fall Arnold returned to Central, leaving Joanne and the 2 girls in the trailor in Grandma and Grandpa Heinz's backyard as Joanne was expecting a new baby. Since both of the other babies had been born in Petoskey, they had decided that this little one would be also. This time alone gave Arnold a chance to meet with the elders currently working the Mt. Pleasant area, to study and pray on his own, as well as to spend time in the home of some members of the Church. He even went to a "grove of trees" (in the Bamber Woods, a plot of land owned by CMU) to pray.
After a painful separation of several weeks, Annette Marie finally made her appearance on the earthly scene. This made it possible for the little family to be reunited as they took their trailor and returned to Mt. Pleasant. The undaunted elders (the 7th or 8th set that had met with Arnold) once more visited and challenged "Brother Howse" to a baptismal date. They and his wife were dumbfounded by his acceptance of their offer. Arnold was baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on October 29, 1963. Annette was only 10 days old. This was to become a monumental day in the history of the Howse family!
Arnold built a tiny set of light blue bunkbeds for Bethany and Darby while Annette slept in the wooden cradle that her Daddy had made when Bethany was on the way, and in which both of her older sisters had slept as babes. This made it possible for the 3 girls to fit nicely into the tiny bedroom of the 2-bedroom mobile home.
A few months after Arnold's baptism he graduated from Central Michigan University and, that same day, the tiny LDS church group (Sunday School) in Mt. Pleasant was dissolved. He applied for and was accepted as a biology teacher in Carrollton High School. This meant a move for the family, the trailer, and their belongings. It also meant a change to a new church family, the Saginaw Ward. Their new home was a trailer court in Bay City.
For a few months, the family lived in this place, with the master bedroom window nearly touching the fence which was the division between the trailer court and the 'Mr. Hot Dog' drive-in. Peeking thru the curtains was often cheap entertainment. In the spring of 1964, the mobile home was sold to pay off a college loan. This change saw the Howses move to Saginaw and to a small, 2-bedroom home on Webster St. The Ratliff family, members of the ward, lived across the street and the daughters often babysat for the little Howses.
Many good people entered the lives of Arnold and Joanne and their children as a result of their move to Saginaw. The Reeves, Perc and Verda, were the unofficial parents to all of the young couples, there. Perc recruited several young Utah grads to work for General Motors, in Saginaw. These provided a strong nucleus for activity and testimony in the ward. They also became life-long friends for the family.
Little baby Clifford Leroy, the oldest son of Arnold, was born the first winter they lived in the Saginaw home. What a joy to finally have that darling boy!
While in the small rented house, Joanne and Arnold were initiated into the runnings of the Church, as well. Arnold was soon called to be Young Men's president and also to be a stake missionary and a Seventy. These missionary callings were to affect a major portion of the lives of the Howses.
While in that same home, Carey Lizabeth was born to become the 4th and last baby girl. Tho adored by her sisters and her parents, little Clifford (Kippy) was still wondering where there was a little brother for him to play with. In time, yet in the Webster St. home, the long-awaited event occurred. Christopher Heinz Howse joined the wee group. Kippy was soon overheard whispering to his little brother of plans to go biking, camping, and playing together.
In 1968 the Webster home was placed on the market, by the landlord. This brought about a move to a large, lovely, colonial-style house, owned by the Reeves, on Bay Road between Bay City and Saginaw. Everyone now had some 'elbow room'.
In July of 1969. Mr. Crump having made Arnold a generous offer to become the eventual owner of the fudge shop, Arnold, Joanne and 6 1/2 children moved back to Northern Michigan. With the assistance of Mr. Crump and Herm Volz, a member of the church in Petoskey, Arnold purchased a house on Willis Ave., in Petoskey. That fall, Arnold Price (Pricey) was born and Arnold began teaching miscellaneous classes at East Jordan High School.
After a difficult winter, Price becoming afflicted with a possible brain tumor, and the fudge store having a terrible fire, life began to quiet down to a degree. Arnold soon became deeply entrenched in being the parent of 7 little people as well as having many and varied church callings.
Some time passed before the appearance of the 'little boys', as they were labeled, but Jody Jeffrey, Daniel Leslie, David Andrus, Andrew Michael, and Timothy Donald were eventually born to round out Arnold's family.
Shortly after Jody's birth, Arnold became the owner and operator of the candy store, which was now called, HOWSES CANDY HAUS. His older children were quickly allowed to participate in the candy business, wrapping chews, waiting on customers, and eventually to doing most everything. The little ones worked their way into these things as they grew old enough, also.
Family, church, and fudge became the basis of Arnold's life. As the children became grown and left home for college, marriage, and missions, Arnold tried his hand at several endeavors. He began candy shops in Provo, Utah; Delray Beach, Florida; did a summer stint in Petoskey, Michigan; and a business in Park City, Utah. Each added an element of good experiences to the lives of Arnold and his family.
Watching his family grow and become fine, productive people gave Arnold the greatest satisfaction of his life. Always a devoted father and loving husband, his family was his real joy.
During the growing up years of his children, Arnold often held many positions in the church. Among them were: ward mission leader; Primary teacher of young boys; counselor in the branch presidency; Branch President; and Bishop, when the branch became a ward.
~ Joanne Heinz Howse
Sources:
*Petoskey News Review, Tuesday, 1 Oct 1974, front page, Obituary: Heinz, Leslie Eugene
*The Daily Herald, Provo, Utah, Sunday, 5 Mar 2006, Obituary: Howse, Christina Shell
*Petoskey News-Review, Thursday, 20 Apr 2006, Obituary: Howse, Joanne Marie Heinz
*Birth: Family Records.
*Marriage: Family Records.
*2nd marriage: Robison, Stephen D., 2006 Journal 28, p. 177.
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