Sarah Margaret Howell

Sarah Brown Howell of Quitman died on Saturday, September 8, 2012. Her funeral service is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 11, 2012, at Beaty Funeral Home in Mineola, Texas. Reverend Fred Morrow will officiate, and burial at Rock Hill Cemetery will follow.

Sarah Margaret Ferguson was born in New Gulf, Texas, to Hugh Virgle Ferguson, Sr., and Jessie Fay Hoelewyn Ferguson on December 7, 1928. After attending elementary schools in New Gulf and Damon, Texas, she graduated as salutatorian of her class at Damon High School in 1944. She completed business school in Houston, then worked for the Texas Liquor Control Board, where she met Milton Duard "Sonny" Brown. They married in 1946.

Sarah and Sonny reared their children through transfers to several Texas cities, finally settling in Quitman in 1960. While living there, Sarah worked as a legal secretary for Lawrence and Lawrence in Tyler, as secretary for the Agricultural Extension Agent and County Judge of Wood County, and as legal assistant to Jim Crumley in Quitman. She retired in 1998 as manager of the abstracting department of First American Title Company in Tyler.

Her second marriage was to John Earl Howell, a native of Quitman. Through him, she became a part of the large Ingram-Gilbreath extended family. She and John worked together in his contracting and cattle business until his death in 1997.

Sarah loved nature - primarily, animals and flowers - but cared about all living things. Her pets even included the raccoons and skunks that found their way to the food she left for feral cats and homeless dogs. She cooked constantly, read avidly, and learned daily. She was generous and gracious to everyone.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husbands, son Hugh Warren Brown, and brothers Hugh Virgle Ferguson, Jr., Thomas Alton Ferguson, and Jimmy Marvin Ferguson. Sarah is survived by daughters Geneva Brown Turner and Sarah Jane Brown Chambers, daughter of her heart Marta Ontiveros Preciado, grandchildren Todd Michael Turner, Colin Michael Turner, and Jason Matthew Burch, and grandchildren of her heart Carlos Antonio Preciado, Johnathan Nicholas Preciado, Bryan Matthew Preciado, and Christopher Daniel Preciado. Also surviving are great grandchildren, Rebecca Leigh Turner, Michael Allen Turner, Bennett Todd Turner, and Zephie Morgan Burch; sisters, Barbara Lehman, Jeannette Stephens, Norma Smerek, Kay Eversole, and Betty Petrzelka; and brother, Bill Ferguson.

The family will welcome her friends from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. on Monday evening at Beaty Funeral Home. Memorials may be made to the Quitman Public Library in Quitman, APET Animal Shelter in Mineola, or to a charity of the donor's choice.