Myles Fredrick Howe, long time resident of Michigamme died on Saturday, April 19, 2008 at D J. Jacobetti Home for Veterans, Marquette.

Myles was born in Ishpeming on September 3, 1925. His parents were Eleanor and Wesley Howe. He attended Michigamme Public School, leaving school to work for Simonens Grocery Store.

Myles joined the U.S. Army on December 02, 1943 as a Communications technician. He served with the 83rd Infantry Division through five European Theaters. Following an especially dangerous mission, PFC Howe was awarded the Bronze Star for bravery.

Myles Howe and Betty Keaton were married at St. Agnes Church, Michigamme on April 24, 1944 when he returned from military service on January 03, l946. They resided in Chicago

Myles worked for Revere Camera, Chicago from 1946 through 1964. After returning to Michigamme, he was employed as a Maintenance Worker by Cleveland Cliff Iron at Republic and Tilden Mines for twenty years.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Eleanor and Wesley Howe, son Myles Jr., grandchildren Colleen Perry and Phillipe Gramatikos, and sister Agnes West.

Survivors include his wife Betty, Children Catherine (Marvin) Yunke, Lakewood,
Wisc. Nancy (John) Grammatikos, Lakka, Greece, Albert (Rina) Howe, Merritt Island, Florida, Beth (Gary) Koenig, Ishpeming, ten grandchildren Clarence (Shannon) Perry, Constance Perry, Angela (Christos) Dalietos, Lefcothea (Peter) Mastoras, Michael Howe, Tiffani Pugh, Melissa Derocha, Desiree (Eric) Lauritsen, Daniel Derocha and Bernard
Maxfield III, sixteen great-grandchildren Cory, Kristen, Cortney, Chase, Ashley and Erin Perry, Rebecca Jones, Christopher Zoltek, Nancy Dalietos, John, Danae and Alexander Masteros, Dakota and Montana, Bettiga, Jaden Derocha, and Daniel Lauritsen.

Also brothers James (Jean) and John (Marian) Howe, Michigamme, brother-in-law Clifford (Beth) Young, Florida and aunts, uncles, nephews and nieces.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated by Fr. Greg Heikkala, assisted by Sisters Margie Schmelzle and Lois Raisch, on Thursday, April 24, 2008 at Sacred Heart, Champion at 11 a.m. Family will greet friends from 9 to time of service.

Honorary pallbearers will be Veterans from Michigamme Area: Art Benson, Emil Bentti, Oliver Chantelois Jim Lovelace, Wilson Boback, John Pesola, and Walter Wiljanen. Ishpeming American Legion Post 144 will conduct Military portion of service.

These are the historical facts of Myles Howe's life and death, but not of his God given life. Myles was a person of complete integrity who prioritized his life into three categories: God, country and family. The order might change during various phases of his life, but these were his guiding truths.

His parents instilled in him a sense of honesty, fear and love of God as taught by the Catholic Church, and healthy respect of authority. Michigamme townspeople, Lake
Michigamme, the hills and valleys within ten miles of town shaped him into shy, quiet, hardworking teenager.

During the two plus years of service in the United States Army turned Myles into a well-disciplined man, with utmost respect for flag and fellow Veterans. He spoke eloquently of the Battle of the Bulge, the Hurtgen Forest, serving under Patton, The Big War was sixty Years ago but to Myles it was yesterday.

Betty and Myles were married just before he left for England. She married a sweet boy and he returned a handsome man who was willing to live in Chicago though his heart was always in Michigamme.

Five children later, Myles' homesickness for Michigamme could no longer by satisfied by raising tropical fish, carving flowers into plastic , driving for an hour to reach green grass or a crowded lake front, and no real hunting, only skeet shooting. The family returned to Michigamme. Twenty-four hours after moving day, Myles was told his two year old youngest child had a fatal form of leukemia. Family and townspeople gave support the family could not have found in a city. Myles realized not only comfort but joy in and on his beloved Lake Michigamme. He taught his children to water-ski, swim, and fish in his lake. He hunted for partridge in the farming country, always very careful with his gun. However, he felt the only good cat was a dead one, and red squirrels were a close second. Sling shots and BBguns were his weapons of choice for these. Second passion of Myles' life was working with tools: drill press, saw, sander, welder and all kinds of hand tools. If his kids wanted anything made out of wood, he could make it. He also found pleasure in making candleholders, and wooden stands for his church. His third passion was driving his l978 Dodge truck, complete with snow plow. Snow never came too early for him and any blade of grass over two inches long was fair game for his ride on mower. Camping with his kids, both youngsters and adults, was another opportunity to pass on Michigamme learned skills, even though he did back into trees.

When diabetic complication made it necessary for Myles to leave his home February 21, 2006, he was placed in D.J. Jacobetti Home for Veterans. The entire staff of doctors, nurses, aids, maintenance persons, transporter, laundry, treated him as a person, crabby, charming, stubborn, willing eater. Their care was always respectful, caring, and wonderfully appropriate to Myles….a complete person.

Do you see the pattern of Myles Howe's life? He had his priorities in order. God cared for him during a sickly childhood, during service in military, as he supported his family, as he returned to his childhood support system just one day before finding out his son was dying, as he used his talents for his church, and providing him a final home in a supportive, caring military facility and granting him a painless death?

Myles' family gives special thanks to all who enriched his life through blood ties and love ties. This includes all the in-laws who were listed in parenthesis, the always kind personnel at Jacobetti, childhood friends, and Sister Margey Smelzle and Sister Lois Raisch.

This is much longer than Betty intended, but she wanted everyone who reads it to know
this quiet unassuming man. Myles and Betty would have been married 64 years on the day when he will attend Mass for the last time. She picked the day to honor him. May he rest in peace.