Woodrow Clayton Howard, 94, of South Holland, IL, formerly of Hoopeston, IL, passed away at 11:50 P.M. Wednesday December 26, 2012 at Franciscan St. Margaret Heath in Hammond, IN. He was born March 6, 1918 in Gibson City, IL, the son of Claude and Jevena (Farley) Howard. He married Helen Louise Carlson on January 4, 1940 at his parent's farm home in Illinois. She survives in South Holland, IL.
He is also survived by: two daughters, Karen K. Gerdes of Beaver Dam, WI and Shirley (Ray) Bridgeman of New Lenox, IL; two sons, Arthur C. (Crista) Howard of Colorado Springs, CO and Jeffrey G. Howard of Okinawa City, Okinawa, Japan; one sister Velma Lord; one sister-in-law Ruth Howard; five grandchildren, 6 great-grandchildren and 8 great-great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by: his parents, one son Oscar Howard, one son-in-law; two brothers, one sister, two brothers-in-law; one sister-in-law; and two grandsons.
Woodrow grew up farming with his family before working for the Civil Conservation Corps during the Great Depression. He worked for the Food Machinery Corporation in Hoopeston for several years. Woodrow then worked as a railroad engineer for the Nickel Plate Railroad from Frankfort, Indiana to Charleston, IL. The Nickel Plate Railroad then became the Norfolk and Western which he worked for in Ohio. Upon returning to Illinois he worked in Chicago for the CNEI and Union Pacific and Missouri Pacific Railroad as an engineer until his retirement. In Woodrow's earlier years he enjoyed hunting, playing cards and pitching horseshoes.