"Funeral services will be held at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Methodist church for J. A. C. Howell, age 88 years, a pioneer of Altus, who has been in failing health for the past about ten months. The rites are to be conducted by Rev. R. O. Callahan, Methodist minister, and burial will be made in the City Cemetery by the side of his wife who preceded him in death by eight years. Tims-Peterson will have charge of the funeral.

Although Mr. Howell had been confined to his home a portion of the past year, his condition had been improved for the past several weeks and his latest illness was only since Saturday night.

He missed only a fraction of years the chance of fighting for the Confederate states in the Civil war and remembered well that his father fought on the southern side. He moved with his parents to Texas in 1865, after having been born near Florence, Ala., on April 23, 1852. The Howells settled in Rockwall county, Texas, later moving to Poetry, Texas, where on Dec. 22, 1872, he was married to Miss Maggie U. Trotman. Mr. and Mrs. Howell moved to Altus from Texas in 1906. Mr. Howell served as a member of the city council from 1908 to 1912, during the administration of Cage Beach and John Kirby as mayors of Altus.

He was engaged in the ginning business in Texas and followed a similar business and dealt with livestock for a number of years before he retired several years ago. He for many years had been a member of the Methodist church and he also was a member of the Masonic Lodge.

Nine children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Howell, four daughters and one son who are still living. The daughters and son who survive Mr. Howell are Mrs. Mary A. Davis, Graham, Texas, Mrs. J. P. Leslie, Wichita, Kan., Mrs. J. L. Hodges, and Homer E. Howell, Altus, and Mrs. J. H. Hodges, Paul's Valley. All are to be in Altus later Tuesday or early on Wednesday. He is also survived by ten grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren, a portion of whom will be in Altus for the rites." Altus Times-Democrat (Altus, Oklahoma), October 29, 1940