Obituary of Barbara Jean Howard

Barbara Jean Howard, 85, went to her heavenly home Saturday, March 8, 2025 at Sun Dial Manor in Bristol, SD.  Funeral service will be Wednesday, March 12 at 10:00 am at Prairie's Edge Methodist Church in Stickney.  Visitation will be Tuesday, March 11 from 6:30 to 8:00 pm at Prairie's Edge Methodist Church in Stickney.  

Barbara was born in Sioux Falls, SD, March 13th 1939 to Lewis and Minerva (Iverson) Messing. She died March 8th 2025 at Sundial Manor, Bristol, SD just a few days short of her 86th birthday.

Barbara had a mobile childhood living in Beresford and Deadwood, SD for the first two years. During the years of WWII the family moved to Seattle, WA where her father worked for Boeing. She liked to tell that she went to five different schools during kindergarten including Seattle; Armour, SD; Minneapolis, MN; back to Armour and finally Mitchell, SD where she spent the rest of her school years, graduating from Mitchell High School in 1957. Barbara was active in dance, music (voice & French Horn), girl scouts and other social and academic activities. She also worked at the Jerald Shop during her high school years.

She attended Dakota Wesleyan for two years then moved to Stickney to work at the Stickney Argus. Barbara married Harold “Beezie” Howard, Jr. on June 6th, 1960. Their families had been neighbors in Mitchell. She then put down roots and stayed in Stickney for over 60 years.

Barbara was an active member of the Stickney EUB Church which became the Stickney United Methodist where she engaged in many committees, social groups and did some bookkeeping. She also pursued other careers during her stay in town. She became a professional photographer taking many school photos and wedding pictures along with her husband. She was an assistant teacher at Stickney Public School for some years. She then returned to the Stickney Argus taking the printing of the newspaper into the computer age. Barb continued to work there until it closed in 2001. She also worked in Stickney Manor until it closed and worked at Countryside Manor in Mitchell; finally retiring at 75 years of age.

She kept up her interest in music and passed it on to her children. She was acknowledged to have had an ethereal voice by all who heard her. She sang with the church choir and Middle Border Chorus in Mitchell and she could always be called upon to sing for various celebrations and funerals. She was an avid golfer along with her husband and while she also hunted and fished with him, she was more likely to be cooking the results for family and friends afterwards.

She leaves behind one brother, Ward Messing, Idabel, OK; also three daughters and a son; as well as six grandchildren. Her children are Katherine “Trina” Howard, Sioux Falls, SD; Susan (Terry) Beckler, Aberdeen, SD; Jennifer (Jim) Srstka, Lead, SD; and James Howard, Orlando, FL. Her Beckler grandchildren are, Myles, Lindsey (Merrick) and Mallory and Srstka grandchildren are, Elijah, Ian and Jackson.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Beezie; one brother, Roy Messing; and a half sister, Patricia (Berry) Ross.