Betty Howe, world traveler, knitter, crossword expert, mother of five, and grandmother of five, passed away at age 83. She was born in Vernon, Alabama, the fifth child of Howell Taggart and Floy Mitchell Taggart. After high school, she left the family farm, because she “did not want to pick cotton anymore.” She attended Birmingham Southern and graduated Carraway Methodist Hospital as a nurse. When she won the Florence Nightingale Award in 1958, she caught the eye of Dr. Robert Howe, who became her husband of 22 years. In the early 1960s, the Howes moved to New Orleans, and their family grew as they attended Mardi Gras balls and weathered hurricanes. The Howes moved back to Birmingham in 1965. With five kids, the Howe house on Dolly Ridge Road was fun and chaotic. In the 1980s, Betty went back to work– both as a travel agent and a nurse in the operating room at Brookwood Hospital. She also began to travel often – train trips around Asia, river cruises through the canals in France, and long stays at bed and breakfasts in her favorite place, Ireland. She was an independent spirit and in her 70s, she went on a cruise, alone, around South America. “I’ll make friends on the boat,” she told her family. As a grandmother, she loved to play “I Spy” with her grandchildren. She was an elegant woman, known for her St. John knits, sourdough rolls, and roulage. Aging did not stop Betty from having fun. In her 80s, she attended Willie Nelson concerts with her friend Estelle, and would stay up past midnight playing penny slots with her granddaughter on the riverboat casino on Lake Pontchartrain in New Orleans. She was also a fast driver, once infamously getting two speeding tickets the same day from the same police officer. Betty was a role model for living life vigorously and on her own terms. She was an active member of the Heritage Place Church of Christ. She was preceded in death by her parents, Howell and Floy Taggart; her brothers, Miles Taggart, Mart Taggart, Tom Taggart, and her sisters, Doris Springfield and Lovey Taggart. She was also preceded in death by her former husband, Dr. Robert E. Howe. She leaves behind her children: Carol Ingram, Thomas Howe (Hope); Margaret Upton (Don); Beth Clark (Joseph); and Charles Howe, and beloved dog, Lucy. Her grandchildren: Katherine Clark, Brantley Ingram, Joseph Clark, Grayson Ingram, and Stonewall Ingram, and her great-grandson, Owen Clark. The family sends special thanks to Theresa Trone, for fifty years of friendship and in the last few years, care. Visitation will be held Saturday, May 8 at 10:00 am with a funeral to follow at 11:00 am at Heritage Place Church of Christ; 5252 Old HWY 78 East, Irondale, AL 35210. Interment will be afterwards in Vernon, Alabama at 3:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations be made to your charity of your choice.
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