Lonita Howard

Lonita Howard passed away in Memphis, Texas, on December 12, 2022, surrounded by her loving family. She was 94 years old.

Services will be held in Robertson Funeral Directors Heritage Chapel in Memphis on Saturday December 17, 2022, at 10 a.m. Lonita is to be buried in Rowe Cemetery, Hedley, Texas among her great-grandparents, grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and her younger brother Ronnie Hickey.

Viewing will be held at the funeral home in Memphis on Friday, December 16th from 9:00 AM – 6:00 p.m. with family receiving friends from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m.

Lonita was born March 5, 1928 to Elvin and Vera Hickey in Clarendon. The family moved to El Paso in 1938. She graduated from Austin High School in 1945 and received her B.A. and M.A. in Reading from the University of Texas at El Paso.

She married Preston Lee Howard in 1949, and they had two children, Preston Lee Jr., and Linda Kay. Lonita started her teaching career in 1953 and was a reading lab teacher for 34 years. Lonita retired in 1993 and moved back to Hedley where she remained. She was an avid gardener and loved her yard. Her favorite activities were functions with her family.

She was a member of the Hedley Church of Christ.

Lonita leaves behind a son, Preston Howard Jr. of Anthony, and wife Alma, a daughter Linda O’Connor of Memphis; four granddaughters, Danielle Koenig of Mesilla Park, New Mexico, and husband Willie Joe, Shellie Howard of Mesilla Park, New Mexico, and Isaac De La O, Colleen Owens of Hedley, and Kathleen Ward of Panhandle, and husband Mike; and 12 great-grandchildren, Kaydens Koenig, Andy Cox, Joe Koenig, Ayden Cox, Preston Koenig, Kaylee Ward, Parker Howard, Micheal Ward Jr., Charlie Owens, Connor Owens, Declan Ward, and Caden Owens, one brother Carroll Hickey of Arlington, Texas and wife Barbara, as well as her extended family and friends.