William 'Bill' Lawrence Howard

WILLIAM HOWARD MUSCATINE, Iowa - William 'Bill' Lawrence Howard, 58, of Muscatine, died on Tuesday, March 19, 2013, at his home. Funeral Mass will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 23, 2013, at St. Mathias Church. The Reverend Jason Crossen of the Ss. Mary and Mathias Parish will officiate. Casket bearers will be Barton Howard, Holly Howard, Hannah Howard, Wes Howard, Troy McKim, Randy Howell, and Samuel Sessler. Burial will take place in St. Malachy's Cemetery. A funeral luncheon will be held at the parish hall following the committal service. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. on Friday, March 22, 2013, at the Ralph J. Wittich-Riley-Freers Funeral Home with a Rosary Prayer Service at 7 p.m. at the funeral home. Bill was born on March 31, 1954, in Muscatine, the son of Wesley A. and Edith Margaret Fitzgerald Howard. He married Roseann Sessler on May 26, 2006, in Muscatine. He worked as a lineman for MidAmerica Energy and enjoyed going to work every day. Bill was a member of the Ss. Mary and Mathias Parish, NRA, and the Milan Gun Range. He was a loving father and husband. His children (both two and four legged) were his pride and joy. Bil...[more]

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as an avid outdoorsman, an excellent marksman, and grew up riding horses on the farm. He liked to think of himself as the head of the Howard Motorcycle gang. Bill enjoyed visiting the national parks, especially the Grand Cannon. He may have lost his battle to cancer, but cancer could never take his sense of humor, wit, or beat his mustache. Those left to honor his memory include his wife, Rose Howard of Muscatine; one son, Barton Howard of Muscatine; two daughters, Holly and Hannah Howard, both of Muscatine; one brother, Robert Howard and wife, Nancy, of Muscatine; one sister, Mary Lou Howell and husband, Jerry, of Muscatine; and several nieces and nephews. Bill is preceded in death by his parents; one brother, Thomas Howard; and one niece, Cathy Zellmer.