Mom's Biography
Thelma Dolores Taylor Howe
Thelma Taylor Howe, 79, of 155 Community Dr., Goldsboro, NC, died on April 24, 2017, at the SECU Hospice House in Smithfield, NC. She was born July 8, 1937 in Fulton County, Illinois to the late Ward O. Taylor and Mary Miller Taylor.
Thelma’s early years were spent with her family in Illinois until she met her handsome husband, Arnold Howe whom she married June 21, 1956, in Northfield, Mass. Daughters Becky and Pamela were born in Holyoke, Massachusetts. Their son, Andrew was born in Puerto Rico. Later their daughter, Sharon was born in Topeka, Kansas; and finally their fifth child, Jeffrey was born in Blytheville, Arkansas. The family of 7 moved to Goldsboro, NC in 1968 and later settled in Princeton. In 2003, Arnold and Thelma moved to the Rosewood community.
In recent years, Thelma enjoyed sharing her house with her cats: Lizzie, Snickers, and Little Bit. She took great delight in all of God’s creations. She enjoyed the beauty of flowers, working in the yard, cultivating blueberries and making pies. She always had a project she was planning or working on. She welcomed all visitors and provided relief and delight to many Reflexology clients and friends.
Thelma was baptized as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses on August 25, 1967 and enjoyed studying and keeping up to date with spiritual food from Jehovah’s table. Everyone who met her could see her genuine zeal and knew that devotion to her God, Jehovah was her main priority in life. It gave her great pleasure to share the Kingdom message at every opportunity. She was a skilled teacher and effective evangelizer, aiding many into the truth. She even used her mobile devices to share information from jw.org with interested ones she would meet. Thelma will be remembered as an exemplary integrity keeper and preacher of righteousness.
A special joy of Thelma’s was to work together with her husband and spiritual family as they volunteered in Kingdom Hall construction projects throughout NC and other places, to Jehovah’s praise. She was self-sacrificing, very hospitable, and displayed godly devotion and endurance.
Thelma’s reputation is sterling as a loving and devoted mother to her 5 children, her many grandchildren, and great grandchildren and countless many others who admired her motherly qualities and received great comfort and benefit spiritually and otherwise from knowing her. She was proud of all of her children and grandchildren. Like the sands of the sea are those who cherish their friendship with Thelma.
Thelma was preceded in death by her husband of 57 years, Arnold L. Howe, one sister, Evelyn Taylor and one brother, Wayne Taylor.
She is survived by one sister, Pauline Rowland of Arizona; two sons: Andrew and Alison Howe of Rio Rancho, NM and Jeffrey and Kristina Howe of Princeton, NC; three daughters: Becky and Charles Wiggs of Goldsboro, NC; Pam and Keith Hood of Port Richey, FL; Sharon and Michael Callender of Shallotte, NC; eight grandchildren: Kristina Daggs; Elizabeth and Jimmy Solanki; Stephen and Veronica Wiggs; Stephanie Callender; Austin Callender; Garrett, Grant and Gavin Howe; and four great-grandchildren: Abriana and Tyler Velez, Shreya Solanki, and Ashton Bernard. Thelma also leaves many nieces, nephews and spiritual children and grandchildren to mourn her loss.
We will miss her fondly, but only for a short time – since the Paradise is ‘just around the corner.’