Service held for Essie Margaret Howard

Essie Margaret Keeling Howard, 76 of Ada, passed away Thursday, October 31, 2019 in Ada.

Essie was born on May 15, 1943 to Oliver and Edna (Abercrombie) Keeling in Gerty, Oklahoma. She grew up in Gerty and attended Gerty Schools. Essie later moved to Wynnewood and married Norman “Bunk” Howard in 2010. Essie loved cooking, laughing and cutting up with anyone that was around and she loved the color purple.

Although Essie never had children of her own she loved her nieces and nephews dearly. She never forgot a birthday and was always good for a card, usually with 5-bucks in it! Essie never drove but made sure Bunk brought her for holidays. She was thoughtful, generous and rather determined.

Essie is preceded in death by her parents; husband, Bunk Howard; sisters Lola Sullivan and Bethenia Howard; and brothers Olen and Donald Keeling.

She is survived by her brother, Garley Keeling and wife Sonya, of Mont Belveiw, Texas; sister Oleva Bratton of Chestnut, Louisiana; sister-in-law Donna Keeling, of Ada; as well as numerous nieces and nephews and a special and dear friend, James Jones, of Pauls Valley, Oklahoma.

Graveside service for Essie was held at 2:00 PM, Monday, November 4, 2019 at the Allen cemetery in Allen, Oklahoma.