Obituary of Howard Strother

Howard Odell Strother

July 22, 1920 - November 6, 2011

Having been blessed with a full and rewarding 91 years, Howard Strother passed away November 6, 2011 at home on Strother's Farm where he lived and worked his entire life. His passage was peaceful, with his children by his bedside to comfort him as he departed his earthly life, bound for a heavenly reunion with many friends and loved ones awaiting his arrival into the kingdom of God.

A Funeral Service will be held 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, November 9, 2011 at Montlawn Funeral Home Chapel. The family will receive friends at the funeral home 30 minutes prior to service.

Howard is survived by his three children, Leonard Strother, Betty Strother Waller, Louis Strother, and daughter-in-law Cathy Strother. Also surviving are two granddaughters, a great-granddaughter and a great-grandson. His children's mother, Hersel Grady Strother preceded him in death.

He was predeceased by his parents, Frank and Lula Strother as well as his sister, Alice Strother Wicker. He is survived by his sister, Melba Strother Mitchell, brothers, Bob Strother and wife Lois, Ben Strother and wife Shirley and many nieces and nephews.

Howard's love of farming began as a young boy, working in the fields of Strother's Farm with his daddy and mother. After he and Hersel married and began their own family, Howard purchased a few acres of land from his daddy on which he built a home for his young family and there he started his own farming enterprise. During those early years Howard worked as a flagman, and later as a conductor, for Seaboard Railroad to support his family and invest in his farm. He was a member of the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen and when he retired in the early 1960's he had made many lifelong friends. The retired trainmen organized an annual dinner meeting, which Howard faithfully attended until his declining health prevented him from doing so.

During the many years he worked as a trainman, Howard also established and grew a poultry farm and feed mill, constructing all of the farm buildings himself and depending heavily upon Hersel and his children to operate the farm in his absence. With their hard work and many sacrifices, Howard was able to retire from his railroad job and become a successful farmer. He continued actively farming until he was 82 years old, the last fifteen years of which he operated a "U-pick" vegetable farm which he since has declared to have been the most enjoyable of all his farming endeavors.

Although he was not physically able to work the farm during the last years of his life, he thoroughly enjoyed walking around the property, watching the deer and other wildlife, and passing on his vast knowledge of farming to his children who now are blessed with the opportunity to live and work on Strother's Farm, carrying on Howard's legacy and love of farm life.

The family wishes to extend immense appreciation to the Visiting Angels organization, particularly Tammy, Nicole, Michelle, Arlene and Annette, and also to Liberty Home Health Care and Hospice Services, for the compassionate care they gave Howard so he could cherish his final days at home.

In lieu of flowers, the family encourages that gifts in Howard's memory be made to Life Experiences, Inc., 260 Towerview Court, Cary, NC 27513 or Ephesus Baptist Church, 6767 Hillsborough Street, Raleigh, NC 27606.

Arrangements are by Montlawn Funeral Home, 2911 S. Wilmington St., Raleigh, N.C. Condolences may be made at www.montlawn.com