Howard Farrell

Reverend Howard Farrell, Sr. dedicated his life to his faith, his family, and his community. He served his country in the Second World War and Korean Conflict, and for more than forty-five years he served his community as a minister at New Jerusalem Missionary Baptist Church. Howard found the reward for his hard work in the warm company of his family. He knew that his life was filled with blessings, and each day he shared his happiness with the many people he loved. With the end of the Great War, thousands of young soldiers returned to their civilian lives back home. As industry expanded to meet the new demands of a peacetime nation, the economy prospered. The Roaring Twenties were underway. In Nashville, Tennessee, James Farrell and his wife Laura Hunt discovered an additional reason to celebrate: they were expecting a child. On October 23, 1923 they were blessed with the healthy birth of their son Howard Farrell. Howard grew up in Nashville with the company of his four brothers, William, Buster, Benjamin, and Albert. His mother was a homemaker who worked part time as a domestic. She would clean peoples homes or babysit their children. His father provided for the family by raising livestock on a plot of land just outside of Nashville. Howard attended a one-room school until he was old enough to join the Army. He turned eighteen in 1941, the year the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and the United States entered the War. After completing his basic training, Howard was stationed at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. On leave he traveled down to Augusta, Georgia where he met a beautiful young woman named Reggie Mae Bennings at a dance. They started dating and continued to correspond after Howard was sent overseas to Europe. He served with the combat engineers; his duties included the construction of bridges, clearing mine fields, and repairing weapons. He was mainly behind the lines and saw little combat. When Howard returned to the United States, he asked for Reggies hand in marriage. She gladly accepted, and in 1945 they were married. The newlyweds decided to move north to Detroit in the search for better employment. However, Detroit disagreed with their sensibilities: the citys pace of life was too hectic and busy. They found their way to Muskegon where they settled into a house on Catherine Street, located downtown. Howard worked in the Flame Hardening Department at at Campbell, Wyant and Cannon (CWC) Foundry. He soon acquired property on Russell Road where a new neighborhood was being built. Over the next few years, with the help of several friends, Howard built the house where he would live for the rest of his life. Community was an important element of Howards life. He formed a baseball team called the Russell Road Giants, and he helped the neighborhood get service from gas and utilities companies. Howard believed in the importance of serving ones community. His military career exemplified this attitude, and in 1947 he and five other African American veterans founded the VFW Post #9388. Although Howard was a veteran, his military career had not yet come to an end. He rejoined the Army Combat Engineers when the Korean War broke out. Serving in Korea, he saw a lot of combat and sent his paychecks home to Reggie, who was working at the Occidental Hotel. The war ended, and they were again reunited. Howard resumed his job at the CWC Foundry, and also began attending the Shiloh Baptist Church where he first started to preach and eventually became an ordained minister. Howard and Reggie were blessed with two wonderful children. Howard Jr. was born in 1957, followed by Jeannine in 1959. Howard was a good dad. Although he was stern, he was also fair. He was very organized and insisted on a clean house. Although Southern tradition considers the kitchen a womans domain, Howard was a good cook and his meals always beckoned an eager dinner table. He also kept a big garden where he grew a variety of vegetables that added a homegrown flavor to his meals. He frequently caught fish too. Howard knew he was blessed to be the head of such a close knit family, and he was proud that his children were also involved in the church. Howards faith provided the foundation for his family and his social life. In 1962 he became the pastor at New Jerusalem Missionary Baptist Church in Muskegon Heights, where he served for the rest of his life. He also continued to work at CWC foundry until his retirement at the age of sixty-two. He was a member of the AFL/CIO, and he worked as TV repairman on the side. However, the church was his true calling, and his responsibilities as a minister kept him involved with his community. He was chairman of Blacks and Whites United for Community Betterment, a group dedicated to home improvement, education, and business opportunities. He was the treasurer of the General Baptist State Convention for over twenty-five years and served as the president of the Muskegon Ministers Alliance. Howard and Reggie put both of their children through college at Central Michigan University. He was proud of his children and the lives they created for themselves. Jeannine became a educator and Howard Jr. became a computer analyst. Even after his children graduated college and formed families of their own, they remained close to Howard and Reggie. Jeannine built a house next door, and Howard Jr. lived at home. In March of 2003, Howards life changed suddenly when his wife passed away unexpectedly from a heart attack. This loss was tough on Howard. He relied on his faith and the support of his church and community to help him through his grief. He also had his own health to consider. As his daughter Jeannine recalls, My dad cheated death many times over. This is true: Howard had heart attacks, cancer, and strokes; the staff at Mercy Hospital knew him well. Despite these obstacles, Howard continued to preach. In 2006 his church celebrated his 44th Pastoral Anniversary with a ceremony entitled, Still Standing on a Solid Foundation. Howard became very close to a faithful church member named Ledora Ward. They were married on January 14, 2007. Howard always thought of others before himself. He spent a lifetime serving his community, his country, and most of all, his Lord. He was blessed with a wonderful family, and in their company a familiar smile always brimmed over his lips. Among the many people whose hearts he touched, Howard will be greatly missed and frequently remembered. Howard died at Mercy hospital on March 11, 2008 surrounded by his family. He is survived by his wife, Ledora; son, Howard Jr. 2 daughters, Jeannine Farrell and Evelyn Hough; 3 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren; 1 brother William Farrell; sister-in-law Catherine Farrell; 2 nephews Benjamin & Brian Farrell. Visitation for Rev. Howard Farrell will be on Monday, March 17th from Noon 6PM at New Jerusalem Missionary Baptist Church with a Community Celebration from 6-8 PM. The funeral will be on Tuesday, March 18, 2008 at 11:00AM at the New Jerusalem Missionary Baptist Church. Burial will take place in Oakwood Cemetery. Please visit Howards personal website at www.lifestorynet.com to sign the online guest book, leave a memory or share a photo.