Cecelia O'Brien Howard

Cecelia Howard, age 91, passed away Monday morning, September 25, 2006 at Jefferson County Hospital in Fairfield, IA.

Funeral services were held 10:00 AM, Saturday, September 30, 2006 at New Life Community Church in Fairfield with Pastor Jim McGaffey officiating. Interment followed in Memorial Lawn Cemetery in Fairfield.

Memorials may be made to Jefferson County Hospice or the Fairfield Public Library.

Cards and memorials may be sent c/o:
2095 227th Ave.
Fairfield, IA 52556

Cecelia Bernadetta O'Brien Howard was born April 15, 1915 in the town of Regina, in Saskatchewan, Canada. She was the oldest of 15 children; the daughter of Edward William and Georgia (Jackson) O'Brien. The family moved to the United States in 1923, when Cecelia was 8 years old. She has lived in Fairfield for the past 86 years.

Cecelia was united in marriage with Rollin Jay Howard on September 8, 1933 at the Methodist Parsonage in Fairfield. They were the parents of five children: Wilma, Rollin, Jr., Kenneth, Shirley and Edward.

In addition to being a homemaker, Cecelia was employed as a nursing assistant at Nelson Nursing Home and Parkview, beginning in 1959, as well as a cook at Nelson Nursing Home and the Senior Citizen's Center, retiring in 1993. She was a member of the Free Methodist Church, and enjoyed cooking, sewing and babysitting, and helping others.

Cecelia is survived by her children and their families: Wilma (James) Parsons of Colorado Springs, CO, Rollin (Jean) Howard of Fairfield, IA, Kenneth Howard of Ontario, CA, Shirley (Ron) Morris of Eureka, MT and Edward (Sue) Howard of Fairfield, IA, and daughter-in-law Kitty Howard Sargent of Kansas City, MO. Survivors include three sisters and one brother: Barbara Knapper of Hackensack, MN, Sara Ann Leudt of the Quad Cities, Rose Marie Rogers of LeClaire, IA and Edward O'Brien, Jr. of Moline, IL.

Cecelia has 19 grandchildren and 31 greatgrandchildren.

Cecelia was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Rollin on February 19, 1991, and ten siblings: Laurence O'Brien, Marguerite Gill, Ernest O'Brien, Terrance O'Brien, Cloyde O'Brien, Joyce Appleby, Patricia Caldwell, Caroline Durand, Donald O'Brien, and Frances Ellen O'Brien.