×

Rochelle Howard

Oct. 12, 1953-July 18, 2019

Rochelle Ruth Howard,

65, of rural Sawyer, ND,

died Thursday, July 18,

2019, at the Vibra Health-

care Hospital in Mandan,

ND.

Rochelle was born at

Minot, ND, October 12,

1953, to Arthur and Mabel

(Klimpel) Riley. She was

raised on the family farm,

south of Sawyer, ND. She

was educated in Sawyer

and graduated from

Sawyer High School in

1971. She attended Minot

State University for two

years. While in high

school she was active in

4-H and she traveled to

Chicago and Washington,

DC to further their cause

and projects of 4-H.

Rochelle enjoyed the

outdoors on the farm and

spent the majority of her

time tending to the an-

imals and being the “right

hand” to her father caring

for the cows, sheep, and

chickens. Gardening was

something that may have

been necessary, but not

her favorite pastime.

Rochelle was united in

marriage to Joel Howard

on June 29, 1973. To this

union two children were

born. Together they cele-

brated 46 years. The cou-

ple first made their home

in Minot for a short time

before moving to Wash-

burn, ND, where they

lived for twelve years. In

1985 they purchased the

Klimpel Homestead,

where she had been

raised and this has been

home these many years.

After the children were

older she worked as the

school cook at Sawyer.

Besides feeding the stu-

dents, she passed on life

lessons to the students,

which earned her lifelong

friends as the students

aged; they respected her!

She worked at ING Call

Center for 8 years and

most recently, Rochelle

devoted her care and love

to all the children who at-

tended the daycare at Our

Savior Lutheran Church,

named Little Hands Lov-

ing Hearts. Here she spent

seven years.

Rochelle enjoyed a good

game of cards, especially

whist and pinochle. This

was easy entertainment

for all of their family

get-togethers and she usu-

ally won!

Rochelle battled her ill-

ness since August 2018

and was hospitalized

these many months in

Minot before being moved

to Vibra Hospital in Man-

dan. Her family was with

her when she died.

Rochelle’s loving fami-

ly includes her husband,

Joel; 2 children: son, Ja-

son (Teri) Howard, of East

Grand Forks, MN, and

daughter, Janine (Mike)

Rice, of Riverside, CA,

and their children, Riley,

Cedric, Seth and Grace;

two brothers, Archie (Pat-

ty) Riley, and Larry (Ivy)

Riley, all of Moses Lake,

WA.

Rochelle was preceded

in death by her parents

and many aunts and un-

cles.

Funeral Services for

Rochelle Howard: Thurs-

day, July 25, 2019, at

11:00 a.m. in the Our Sa-

vior Lutheran Church,

Minot.

Visitation: Wednesday,

July 24, 2019, from 4:00

p.m. until 6:00 p.m. at

Thomas Family Funeral

Home.

Interment: Willis Town-

ship Cemetery, rural

Sawyer, ND.

Memorials: Willis

Township Cemetery fund

or to the donor’s choice.

Those wishing to share

memories and con-

dolences may use

www.thomasfamily

funeralhome.com.