Verdell Howard

Alma Verdell Howard, 85, a lifelong resident of Thatcher passed away Tuesday July 21, 2015, at his home. Verdell was a lifelong farmer in the Gila Valley and was well respected for his farming skills. Alma Verdell Howard was born July 19, 1930 in Hubbard, Arizona to Enos Alma Howard and Amy Dorothea Bryce. Wanda Howard Moody was the oldest, then Zenos Ammon Howard. Verdell was the youngest of the three. His mother Amy died giving birth to him. His grandparents, Delia Arkadel Nelms and Edmund Dysart raised him to adulthood and he loved them dearly. He was joined by three half siblings, Grant, Mavis, and Jack. As a young boy, he did not like to go to the movies because the lion that roared (MGM) scared him and he would hide. He ran wild up and down the hills and in the river with all of the Howard cousins. He worked hard and helped his father on the farm. In his high school years, he played football, basketball, baseball, and was a boxer, along with being Vice President of the Boys Club his Senior year. It was during that Senior year that he enjoyed an association with one of the baton majorettes. From then on, you could not separate Nelda Jo Shiflet and Verdell Howard. Nelda grew up in Central, the daughter of Joseph and Edith Shiflet. Verdell and Nelda both graduated in 1949 and were married on June 7, 1949 in the Mesa Arizona Temple. They lived across the river on the family farm and continued helping Verdells father until his death. Then he and his brother Zenos split the farm. A year and a half later, on September 27, 1950 Edith Diane came along. Two years after that, on September 8, 1952, their second daughter, Marla arrived. Then two years after that, on November 21, 1954, their 3rd daughter, Pamela completed the family. Verdell was known all over the valley for his excellent farming skills, being chosen one year by the Safford Rotary club as farmer of the year for Graham County. He was a very hard worker and he taught his three girls the value of hard work. Because he did not have any sons, they chopped cotton and sprayed and burned weeds (except Pam because she was the baby and got to just ride on the tractor with her dad). As young girls, they loved to go with their mom and dad in the evenings to irrigate. They would ride in the back of the truck and get bugs stuck in their teeth. While he would irrigate, they would catch tadpoles in the ditches and collect gourds. One of Pams memories was when her dad would set her behind his seat on the cotton picker and they would ride up and down the rows. Diane remembers her dad making her put on boxing gloves and having a boxing match with her boy cousin Danny. Of course Diane ended up bawling and not meeting up to her dads expectations. Marla remembers putting on her rubber knee pads and helping her dad drag boards across the yard to make it totally level putting plugs of grass in, because she did it better than her sisters. Nelda was the love of his life. He adored her and loved to pamper her. His happiness was her happiness. They were both perfectionists in all they did. Everything had to be done exactly right. Nelda was an excellent cook and Verdell loved to come home to her delicious meals. Every month a large group of friends would get together and enjoy each others company. They also went on exotic trips, they had Halloween costume parties, and they shared recipes and ate a whole lot of good food. Great times were always had by all! Verdell was totally tone deaf. Nelda says he couldnt carry a tune. But he would go to church, open that hymn book, and he would sing! When he was in the Bishopric, he was even in the ward choir! He served as a member of the Thatcher Town Council for 25 years faithfully. He never missed a meeting. Verdell provided many years of church service which include: President of the Elders Quorum, Sunday School President, First Counselor in the Bishopric to Bishop Dennis Layton with Ron Cluff as Second Counselor, and he was a faithful home teacher his entire life. His brother Grant said, my brother did a lot of good things for a lot of people that no one ever knew about. This is the kind of man Verdell Howard was. Verdell suffered a couple of mini strokes while on the farm which debilitated him. He broke his pelvis after a fall, and at that point, he started a steady decline. He suffered from severe neuropathy, which debilitated him to the point of near constant bed rest. In the last three years, he spent most of his time laying in bed next to his sweetheart where he quietly passed away on Tuesday, July 21, 2015. A public viewing and visitation will be held Monday July 27 from 3 to 5 PM at the Howard Residence, 3177 W. 1st Street, Thatcher AZ. The family will hold a private service at a different time.