Edgar O. Howard

Edgar Oleta "Eddie" Howard, 99, died April 16th at his home in Waxahachie, Ellis County, Texas. Visitation will be April 24, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. at Wayne Boze Funeral Home. Service will follow immediately at 10:00 a.m. with Carolyn Wilkinson officiating. Interment will follow at Waxahachie City Cemetery.

Edgar was born on March 4, 1926, in Muleshoe, Texas to Thomas Monta Howard and Martha Ann Worden. As a child, his family moved frequently between west and east Texas. He served in the US Navy in WWII in the Asiatic Pacific Campaign. He worked many years with concrete bridges and was part of building two missile silos in the late ‘50s and early ‘60s. He had lived in Waxahachie for over 50 years and worked as a heavy equipment mechanic for Nelson Contracting Service. Eddie was a Jack-of-all-Trades; he could make anything. He was known for making harnesses, training harness horses, and building covered wagons for trail riding. He and wife, JoAnn, spent many hours trail riding around Texas and New Mexico. They provided carriage rides for weddings and around Waxahachie Square. He was a Baptist, a Democrat, and a member of VFW.

He is survived by sisters, Billie Ruth Baker of Granbury and Effie Earlene Overton of Weatherford; daughters, Dianne Howard of Waco and Natasha Oleta Bullard of Plano; daughter-in-law, Sherry Howard of Avalon; stepdaughter, Lynell Sult of Idaho; granddaughters, Cheryl Howard of Florida, Olivia Erdman of Mexia, Jocelyn Alana Deitrich-Smith of ­­­Ft. Worth; step-grandson, Jarrod Pinkerton of Dallas, and five great- grandchildren. He is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews and great-nieces and great-nephews who loved him and will miss him very much.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Thomas Monta Howard and Martha Ann Worden; his brothers, Joseph M. (J. M.) Howard, Thomas Jefferson (T. J.) Howard, Alfred Leota Howard, and R. C. Howard; his sisters, Monta Marguerite (Margaret) Terrell, Coy Lee Grimsley, Tincy Howard, and Bonnie Faye Galloway; his wife, JoAnn Matthews; his sons, Charlie David Howard and Monte Edward Howard; and his grandson, Jesse Wayne Dietrich.