Faye Howell

Dates

Obituary

Faye Howell, 96, formerly of Mitchell, SD, died Sunday, November 1, 2026, at Centerville Care and Rehab in Centerville, SD. A celebration of Life will be 12:00 PM Saturday, December 12, at Cornerstone Baptist Church in Mitchell, with visitation one hour prior. Arrangements by Bittner Funeral Chapel.

Etta Faye Howell was born August 7, 1930, to Orville and Elsie (Hostetter) Tomlinson on a farm near Tuttle, Oklahoma. At age 6, she moved with her family to a farm near Newcastle, OK. She graduated from Newcastle High School in 1948 and attended Oklahoma A&M and Panhandle AM.

Faye married T.J. Howell on May 19, 1951. They lived in Amarillo, Denver City, and Midland, TX, before moving to Fargo, ND in December 1967. They had four children, Tom, John, Teri, and Kim. After the divorce, Faye graduated from North Dakota State University in May 1974 with a degree in Speech Pathology. She never remarried.

Faye worked as a Speech and Language Clinician in White River, SD for five years, working in small schools around the area as well. She then moved to Alexandria, SD in 1979, then to Mitchell, SD in 1983. From 1979 until her retirement in 1997, she worked as the Speech and Language Clinician for the Cornbelt Educational Cooperative, serving the schools of Hanson County in Alexandria and Farmer, Emery, Spencer, and Bridgewater primarily, as well as surrounding communities, in Canova, Fulton, and more.

Faye was a faithful member of Calvary Baptist Church in Mitchell from 1979 until she moved to Sioux Falls in 2006. She taught Sunday School there throughout the 80’s, and served as the church treasurer for many years, beginning in 1989 and serving in that role even a little while after her move to Sioux Falls.

She spent her free time visiting her children, attending grandchildren’s activities as much as possible, and spending time with friends, though most of her friends have preceded her in death. She moved into Independent Living, then Assisted Living at Grand Living at Lake Lorraine in Sioux Falls. As her care needs increased, she moved to Edgewood Assisted Living, also in Sioux Falls. As her dementia and health issues took a turn in 2023, she moved to Centerville Care and Rehab, where she thrived and was so well cared for. She participated in their numerous activities until she declined toward the end of her life.

Left to cherish her memory are her son, Thomas S. Howell and his wife, Jolene of Lincoln, NE; daughter-in-law, Debra of Lincoln, NE; daughter, Teresa F. LoBello and her husband, Lou of Menomonie, WI; daughter, Kimberly M. Haiar and her husband, Jim of Sioux Falls, SD; 7 grandchildren: Rochelle (Curtis) King, Stephanie (Joe) Haschke, Daniel (Jess) LoBello, John Howell, Eric (Kate) Haiar, AJ (Michelle) Howell, and Dan (Maddie) Haiar; and 18 great-grandchildren: Lucy, Matilda, Francis, Peter, Leonie Faye, & Joey Haschke; Vinnie Duran & Tommie Howell (mom Liz Shields); Leah, Lydia, Aaron, & Joshua Howell; Dominic & Alonna LoBello; Morgan & Michael Haiar; Avery & Emery Haiar; sister-in-law Jackie Tomlinson; and several nieces and nephews and other extended relatives and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, her son John Howell, her grandson TJ Howell, and her siblings: Leola (Olen) Ring, Elsie Fern (Jess) Plumlee, William (Wilmath) Tomlinson, Emily (Pat) Shay, and Leroy Tomlinson.

In lieu of flowers, her family asks that memorial gifts be directed to Centerville Care and Rehab for the purchase of a much-needed wheelchair-capable van/bus.

Visitation(s)

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