James Roland Howe (1940-2025)
James Roland Howe died on Wednesday, January 1, 2025. He was 84.
Jim was born in Akron and was a lifelong area resident. He was a proud veteran of the US Navy, serving during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Jim was a longtime member of St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church. He retired as an electrical quality control director from J&B Engineering.
Jim was preceded in death by his wife of 58 years, Carol Howe; son James Roland Howe, Jr; parents Charles and Dorothy Howe; and brothers Harry and Dave Howe. He is survived by his son John Howe; brothers Ralph (Jackie), Rick (Ruth), Bob (Becky), Ed, Donnie, Mike (Patricia), and Victor (Pauline); sister Dorothy (Ken) Christner; and many nieces and nephews.
Bits and Pieces of Jim Howe’s Childhood Memories
In October of 2018, Jim put together bits and pieces of his childhood memories, he called them Snippets. There are five Chapters, so I thought it would be a nice tribute to my brother to include a few of them for future generations. At the bottom of the page are a number of photos of Jim, Carol, and the boys Jim and John.
From Chapter I
What Mom Told Me
On the Occasion of my 57th. Birthday, Mom told me:
“Dear Son,
I forgot a card for you, please forgive me. I hope your day will be everything you want it to be.
Dad and I were very proud the day you were born. We were dirt poor. Ask Uncle Jerry & he will tell you, we lived in a 3 room tin house, with a dirt floor, only electricity in it. Dad got a job at Falls Machine for 12c & hour, his first pay was $12.00. We gave $9.00 for rent and the other $3.00 went to the milk man as we would have milk for Dave and Harry.
Dad got a Christmas tree from a man who run a gas station near Aunt Ruth’s house. Dads step mother Julia crocheted scarfs & mittens for the 2 kids we had, Lloyd let Dad get a little bike at Western Auto where he had & account. I had to stay at Mom’s at the Old House for a week before you were born because I was bleeding & having contractions & then 10 days after you were born. Uncle Jerry took care of Dave & Harry until I could come home.
Anyway I only wanted to wish you A Very Happy & Healthy Birthday & may God grant you many, many more. I love you & your family very much.
Love You much
OOOOOOXXXXXX Mom”
Mom told me that I came to be born in the Old House because the Tin House that the family lived in was not suitable for the birth of a baby as it had a dirt floor and was cold and damp. Also she was having some problems carrying me and needed bedrest so she could gather her strength. So she went to the Old House so that her Mom could care for her.
As the time came that Mom went into labor Dad went up the roadbed of ashes to find a phone to call the doctor. When he got back he told Mom that the doctor was on his way. Well as time wore on the labor intensified and yet no doctor. So Dad went back out and got into his car and went looking for him. It turns out that as Dad was headed up the roadbed of ashes the doctor was coming in. The doctor seen Dad’s headlights and knowing he was probably beside himself, pulled into the drive way of the little house and turned out his lights. After Dad went by the doctor started his car and proceeded on down to the Old House. As I was being born Dad pulled in and seeing the doctor’s car knew we were going to be OK.
After I was born on December 19th, 1940 I became their Christmas baby and they wrapped me up and laid me in front of the Christmas tree. It was a very special Christmas that year. Several months after I was born I developed something called “Whooping Cough”. I was in bad shape when the doctor arrived as I could barely breathe. Mom said I was as good as gone when Old Doc Allen put his fingers into my throat and pulled the Phlegm out. When that didn’t help he literally used his mouth to suck it up out of my throat so that I could breathe. If not for that old doctor I wouldn’t have made it. Thank You Doctor, wherever you are!
From Chapter II
Going for Water (summer of 1944)
I was only 3 1/2 years old when Mom asked me if I thought I could carry a bucket of water. Of course I said, so I grabbed both buckets and headed out the door. Mom stopped me and said maybe just take one, I said OK and headed out the door.
Now the spring was a pretty good hike to get to as it was across the roadbed of ashes and (The roadbed of ashes was put in by Grandpa France to fill in the ruts that were left behind when they tore out the tracks to the Old Mountain Line. Grandpa had a truck and he had a route where he would go from house to house and pick up the ashes from the folks coal burning furnaces. Then instead of going to the dump he brought them home and tossed them into the ruts. Eventually he had built a small road. That led to the old house driveway.) over two small hills. There was a pathway through the woods that I had to follow. I knew the way because I had went with my two older brothers, Dave and Harry, many times before.
So as I neared the spring there was a small steep hill that I had to go down in order to get to it and I slipped and tumbled down the hill. I gathered myself up and made my way over to the spring and played around the stream that ran down the hill looking for crawldads. Finding none I took several gulps of the ice cold spring water and then filled my bucket.
I then studied the steep hill I had to climb to get to the pathway through the woods in order to go back home. I noticed some bushes on the left side that had red berries on them so I decided to go slow, step up one foot at a time, and of course eat some of those red berries. As I moved more up the hill the bucket grew heavier and some of the water spilled out.
When I reached the pathway I headed up and down the two hills and I noticed that a little more water had splashed out. The bucket seemed much heavier than I thought. Across the drive way I went and proudly delivered a bucket of water to mom that was maybe a third full. She said thank you son but she never ask me to go for water again.
I always wondered why mom sent me for water when I was young, she had to know that I was incapable of doing it. When my two older brothers, Dave and Harry, got home from school she sent them to the spring right away.
Going to School
Mom took me to Forest Hill School to enroll me in Kindergarten. I was only 4 years old but would turn 5 in December. As we neared the school I began to sense fear. What was Mom doing to me? What had I done wrong? Look at the size of this building, boy it was big.
The school agreed that since I would be 5 in that year I could attend but not everyone so young is ready for this. So off we went down the hall way to the class room. The teacher met Mom and I in the hallway and Mom and her talked for a few minutes.
Then the teacher took my hand and we walked into the class room. There were rows and rows of children and I was very nervous. The teacher walked me over to a desk and said Jimmy this is your desk. Then she introduced me to the rest of class. I sat down and looked around and didn’t see Mom anywhere. I looked towards the door and couldn’t see her there either. The tears welled up and I began to cry. I was absolutely terrified. I cried louder and louder.
The teacher came back and took my hand and we headed for the door. When the door opened there was Mom. I was very upset that she would do this to me. The teacher said to Mom “He is too young. He just isn’t ready yet”. Mom said OK and she took my hand and we walked down the hall way and out the door and we headed back home.
So much for going to school. But at least I had shoes on my feet.
From Chapter III
Aunt Pat & Uncle Jerry (summer of 1946)
Aunt Pat and Uncle Jerry came to live with us. Uncle Jerry got a job as a bus driver. One day he came home from work and brought us kid’s kites. He helped us put them together and make tails for them. Then he took Dave down the street and ran with the kite until it flew into the air. He showed him how to fly it. Then he took Harry up the street and launched his kite for him as well. He then took me up the street and around the corner to another street and launched my kite and taught me how to fly it. My kite was blue on top with white stars and the bottom was red and white stripes (it was like the flag). I must have flown that kite for several hours steadily pumping the string to keep it air borne. After a while here came Uncle Jerry to help me bring it back down in one piece.
Marbles (summer of 1946)
I was 5 ½ years old and each of us had gotten some marbles and I watch Dave and Harry play the game with the neighborhood kids. We drew a circle and each guy put some marbles into the center of the circle. Then each kid in turn would attempt to shoot from outside the circle using his favorite marble called a shooter, (it was usually bigger than the other marbles) at the marbles and any of them he knocked out of the circle he got to keep. Well somehow along the way I started to win a lot of marbles and had accumulated a nice big bag of them.
When it was time for school I put my big bag of marbles into the rear corner of the coat closet that sat at the base of the staircase.
Back to School (September 1946)
I was 5 years old going on 6 and Mom took me down to St. Joseph’s Catholic school and enrolled me to start the first grade. This was the first time I went back to school after the disastrous attempt a year earlier. All went well. I did not cry and I had shoes on my feet.
First Holy Communion (May 4, 1947)
I was 6 years old and in the first grade. I don’t remember a whole lot other than all the practicing at the church to receive my first Holy Communion. On that day the whole class was dressed in white. The boys wore white short pants and white shirts with a white coat and tie. I think even the shoes were white. Aunt Rose and Uncle Ronnie were there and we celebrated and took pictures and had cake. Everyone was very proud, even me.
From Chapter IV
Our Dog Lucky (summer of 1947)
Dad got us a dog, we named him Lucky and we had a great time playing with him. He was just a mutt and was mostly black with a little bit of white on him. Lucky loved to sleep under Dads car but would always wake up and run out whenever the car started. One day he didn’t wake up and the car ran over him. He ran around in a circle and then dropped in front of us. He was Gone! Not so lucky after all!
Christmas Eve 1947
It was Christmas eve, 1947, I was 7 years old. Dave, Harry and I slept in one bed in the rear bedroom. Mom and Dad slept in other bedroom with Brother Ralph, and Brother Rick in his crib. Aunt Pat and Uncle Jerry slept on the living room floor.
Dave, Harry and I were all excited and couldn’t sleep but as the evening wore on we decided to listen for sounds of Santa. As we grew tired we heard hoof beats somewhere outside and listened very intently. It had to be Santa’s reindeer and his sleigh. Then off in the distance we heard soft clattering of the reindeer’s hoofs and a soft HO-Ho-ho in the distance! We were convinced that Santa had indeed come and we fell fast asleep.
Fighting Coming Home from School 1948
As we walked home from school Dave was a little ahead of Harry and I and Sidney Harlon would come running after us and would attack Brother Dave. They would fight all the time. One day here came Sidney running after us and I called out “Look out Dave”. Dave turned around just in time and busted Sidney a good one. I think he broke his nose because there was blood everywhere.
Later that evening Mr. Harlon came to the house and talked to Dad about how they had to do something to stop this fighting. He acted like it was Dave’s fault so we told Dad that it wasn’t Dave’s fault but it was Sidney that always started the fights. So Dad said look I cannot stop him from defending himself but I will talk to him and you talk to your boy and hopefully it will come to a stop.
Well the talks worked and the fighting stopped, although I always thought the broken nose went a long way to end it.
From Chapter V
The World Series 1948
One Sunday afternoon Dad gathered us all into his car and we drove up to his sister Ruth’s home in Cuyahoga Falls. When we got there we were in for a real treat. Uncle Ralph Thompson, Aunt Ruth’s husband, had bought a television. It only had a small screen, maybe 8 or 10 inches, but it was like the boy had across the street.
And guess what Uncle Ralph, an avid Cleveland Indians, fan had on. Yep, the 1948 World Series with the Cleveland Indians. We all gathered around the TV and watched as Bob Feller, a famed Indians pitcher, pitched the game. What a thrill. The Indians won the World Series.
On other occasions when we visited Aunt Ruth we watched Milton Berle, Syd Caesar, and Suspense Theater all of which were quite interesting to kids like us who had never seen TV before.
The Talk 1950
Dad and Mom gathered Dave, Harry, and I around the dining room table after supper and after Ralphie had went to bed. Dad done the talking and he said that he had already told Dave and Harry these things before but wanted them to listen again.
Son, he said, first of all there is no Santa Clause and there is no Easter Bunny! Everything that you’ve enjoyed at Christmas and Easter is because of your Mother and me.
Now I have some other things to discuss with you. You see that brown thing in the fishbowl could not be a fish egg because it takes two fish to make an egg, a mommy fish and a daddy fish. It’s the same all over the world and with all the different animals and also with us as well. This comes about because of sex. Male and female must mate to produce babies of any kind.
When two people love each other very much they get married just like me and your mother, and when we love each other very much we come together and we are very close to each other and we have sex. Sometimes that results in the woman becoming pregnant with a baby and she carries that baby in her womb for nine months and as the baby grows inside of her belly gets bigger.
With that Dad reached for this very big book that he had sat on the table. He open it up showed me pictures of everything he had talked about showing the baby growing inside the woman. Dad talked about how some people have different words to describe what a man and woman do to have a baby. He even talked about the F word and how it was a very vulgar word and should never be used.
I, of course, was astonished, I could understand the sex thing and that there was no Easter bunny, but No Santa Clause! Give me a Break!
December 19, 1950 (My 10th. Birthday)
It was a tradition, in our family, that when anyone had a birthday it was celebrated with Ice cream and cake. I was looking forward to my 10th. Birthday and was full of excitement for the celebration. After supper Mom prepared the birthday cake and everyone sang happy birthday to me. She than sliced up the cake and began serving without ice cream. Where’s the ice cream I asked? To which she replied be happy you have cake.
I was mournfully unhappy, NO Ice Cream! I began to pout about it and played with the cake but not eating any of it. Mom got mad and took the cake from me and sent me to bed without any of it. OK, so be it, I deserved it.
Four days later it was Brother Harry’s birthday and guess what He got ice cream and cake! I mumbled about it and Mom said I could just stop mumbling or I would go to bed without once again. OK I stopped mumbling but I would never forget that my 10th Birthday was a very gloomy one. And I always wondered why Mom didn’t treat me the same as everyone else that year. It deeply hurt and I never forgot!
From that birthday on Brother Harry (Dec. 23) and I (Dec 19) celebrated our birthdays together.
So that’s the 10 years in a nutshell! Oh sure there is a lot more to tell but I just don’t remember all of it.
Photos of Jim & Carol from 1942 thru 1967
