Otho J. Howerton's Obituary
Otho Howerton was born 1927 in the Ozark foothills of Sharp County Ark, the second youngest of 3 brothers and 3 sisters. His childhood was spent near Haynes, Lee County, Arkansas where his father farmed during the hard times of the 1930’s Depression. His father, who always called him Junior, was a farmer, a blacksmith, a woodsman, a millwright, and a popular requested local self taught musician who sang, played guitar and violin for hoedowns, barn dances, and neighborhood hillfolk gatherings.He enlisted in the Navy at the age of 16 during WW2 and sailed around the world on a seaplane tender, the Rehoboth, working as captain’s messenger and operating a rescue craft from the ship. On one occasion he was instrumental in retrieving and saving the lives of a group of airmen who had crash landed a plane at sea near his ship in the Pacific.After the war he came to Memphis, and took his first job as a route salesman for Morrell Meat Packing Company. He would later drive a trolley and city bus. During this early period, he went to pilot training school and got his small airplane pilot’s license. He loved to take his rented single engine Steadman plane up from West Memphis and hedgehop and buzz his family folks who remained on their sharecropped farms back in rural Lee County between Forrest City and Marianna.He met, fell in love at first sight with, and married his wife Jeanette Oliver, from Texas, who, just out of high school, was working at a diner with her identical twin sister in downtown Memphis, in 1951. They remained married for 68 years and had two children, Bill and Randy.After his marriage he found work with the Kimberly Clark paper company, from which he retired after 35 years. He studied for and obtained a real estate license and worked part time as an agent in the late 1960’s and early 70’s, all the while working full time rotating 7-day on/2-day off shifts at the plant. He loved to fish and hunt and had several bird dogs (more pet than working dog) during this time.He leaves behind 2 children, Bill and Randy; 5 grandchildren, Christopher Howerton, Shannyn Riley, Jonathan Howerton, Carolyn Brasher, and Joseph Howerton; and 8 great-grandchildren, Hannah, Laney, Andrew, Blake, Reese, Riley, Bradley, and Cora.He is deeply missed, and was dearly loved, by his wife, his children, his grandchildren, his great-grandchildren, and by all who knew him.Visitation will be held from 12:30-1:00 p.m. and funeral services will be held at 1:00 p.m., Saturday, March 30 at Memorial Park Funeral Home. Burial will follow in Memorial Park Cemetery.Arrangements have been entrusted to Memorial Park Funeral Home and Cemetery, 5668 Poplar Ave., Memphis, TN 38119 (901) 767-8930. “A Fitting Farewell for Everyone”. To view the Memorial DVD Slideshow for Mr. Howerton: https://www.tributeslides.com/tributes/show/8G58372G9DZBXHQ5
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