Mary Helen Howell

She was preceded in death by her son, Watson M. Howell Jr., and daughter, Janice Corbin. She is survived by her daughter Marilyn Jean Howell of Augsburg, Germany and granddaughter Elizabeth Boyd of Cedar Park, Texas.

She grew up in a small town, Graham Texas, where her father was the mayor. She married young and left to start her life. For a married woman in the 1940s she did things her own way: she earned a double major in History and Government from the University of Houston and obtained a master’s degree from the University of Texas in Austin. She did all of this while relocating several times due to her husband’s job with the Highway Patrol and taking care of her three children. She stayed in Austin and worked as an elementary school teacher and principal for the public school system in Texas for over 31 years. In her own words, “Not bad, huh?”

She enjoyed traveling after she retired and spent many summers abroad visiting the places she studied from history. Mary Helen loved music, especially opera. Everyone knew that she loved unicorns and had a large collection of unicorn figurines and paraphernalia. She loved to garden, and her gardenia bushes always bloomed on her birthday.

Mary Helen was strong-willed, generous, and very proud of her family. She will be dearly missed.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.cookwaldencapitalparks.com for the Howell family.