Afton Howlett

Afton was born June 14, 1925 in Idaho Falls, Idaho to Ephraim and Rose Nielson. She graduated from Idaho Falls High School in 1943 at the height of World War II. She then attended St. Joseph School of Nursing in Lewiston, Idaho, where she began a legacy of caring for others.

Afton married the love of her life, William G. “Scotty” Howlett, on July 3, 1947 in the St. Stanislaus church in Lewiston, Idaho. They lived happily together until his untimely death February 17, 1965. Afton never remarried. She was a devoted wife and mother, and was greatly loved by her children and grandchildren.

Afton practiced nursing in Clarkston, Washington, caring for the elderly at the Rest Haven Nursing Home and at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Lewiston, Idaho. In 1968, Afton returned to Idaho Falls and worked at Sacred Heart Hospital until her retirement in 1982. During her distinguished nursing career, she worked in coronary care, and was also the Director of the Renal Dialysis unit. A highlight of her service was helping deliver some of her own grandchildren.

Afton lived through the Great Depression and advised her family to work in either the food or healthcare industries, as those who worked these jobs would always survive a depression. As a young girl, Afton learned to sew her own clothes on a Singer sewing machine. She also had a spinning wheel, which she enjoyed. She loved flowers, tole painting, knitting, macramé, quilting, and making hooked rugs. She was very smart and loved to read. She enjoyed the outdoors and took many camping trips with her son and grandchildren. Afton enjoyed animals, especially dogs and cats, and always had a dog in the house.

Afton was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Scotty, her son William Jr. (stillborn), her 2 daughters, Marie Reine (John), and Danielle Richards (Ralph), her parents, Ephraim and Rose Nielson, and her three brothers and six sisters. She is survived by her devoted son, Lawrence Howlett, her grandchildren Rosemarie Pagh (Mark), William Richards (Aytum), Holly Stewart (Josh), Heather King, David King, Matthew Ray, Mona, eleven great grandchildren, and 3 great-great grandchildren.

A member of the Christ the King Parish, she was very active and faithful in her church. Afton’s love for people and life was felt by all who knew her. Her greatest joy was her family. We will miss her dearly.

Special thanks to Brio Healthcare Services Hospice Team for the exceptional love and care provided to our mother and grandmother and to Gene and Dale Handy for their constructing and perfecting a casket for Afton. A visitation and rosary will be held on Monday, January 21, 2019 from 6 pm – 8 pm. A funeral mass will be held the following day on Tuesday, January 22, 2019 at 11 am at Christ the King Parish. Interment will be at the Fielding Cemetery in Idaho Falls following mass services. Funeral arrangements were made under the direction of Buck Miller Hann Funeral Home. Online condolences can be left at www.buckmillerhann.com.