Howard Marsh

Hastings resident, Howard Lawson Marsh, 105, of Perkins Pavilion, died Wednesday, June 27, 2007 at Good Samaritan Village Perkins Pavilion.

Services will be Monday, July 2, 2007; 10:30 A.M. at First Presbyterian Church with Rev. Dr. William Nottage-Tacey officiating. Burial will be in Parkview Cemetery, Hastings, Nebraska. No viewing. Book signing will be Thursday 28th, Friday 29th and Saturday 30th, 8 A.M.- 5 P.M at the funeral home and Monday, July 2, 2007 1 hr. prior to service at the church. Memorials may be given to First Presbyterian Church.

Mr. Marsh was born August 18, 1901 in Hall County, Nebraska near Doniphan to Richard Lawson & Addie Louella (Cleal) Marsh. He attended rural school and farmed in Hall County. On January 22, 1921, he married Mary May Chaney of Giltner, Nebraska. They had five children. In 1935, they moved to Hastings, where Howard was employed by Debus Bakery. From 1943 until 1946, he worked at the Naval Ammunition Depot in Hastings. He painted houses from 1946 for various contractors; Imperial Homes and Westland Homes until 1968 when he retired. After Mary died in October 1976, he moved to Sebring, Florida, where he married Jean Miller. They were married for 19 years. They spent summers in Hastings and the rest of the year in Florida. Jean died in 1996, and Howard returned to Hastings to be near his family. Older residents of Hastings may remember Howard as the planter of tulips on the corner of Ninth Street and Cedar Avenue, one block west of the college. In Sebring, he may be remembered as the man who took up golf in his eighties and mowed lawns for other people until he was 95. He was the oldest member of First Presbyterian Church.

Mr. Marsh was preceded in death by father and mother, two brothers (Emmet and Richard): two sisters (Elva and Ethyl): and one step-daughter (Ann Adams of Sebring).

Survivors include:
Sister: Doris Modesto - Peoria, Ariz.
Daughters: Ruth McKee - Omaha, Neb
Edith Perdew - Hastings, Neb
Jane Hopp - Columbus, Neb
Sons: Richard - Denver, Colo.
Dwight - Hastings, Neb
Grandchildren: 14
Four generations of descendants