Cathie Howell

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Biography

Mary Cathleen Howell, I was born on 7 Jul 1962 in Williamson, Mingo County, West Virginia, to Boyd Howell Jr. and Camma Sue Jordan (adopted Block). I grew up in the small town of Kermit, Mingo County, West Virginia. I was raised by my mother's adoptive parents John Harley Block and Gracie Lee Messer Block from the time I was born. John and Gracie adopted my brother and I when I was 6 years old and my brother was 4. My mother's mother was Alta Marie Messer, sister of Gracie Lee Messer Block. Alta died when my mother was 1 year old, my mothers father Raymond Jordan we never knew. My mother and father divorced when I was 4 years old, she remarried not long after to Charles Raymond Estepp, I called him Daddy Charles. My father lived in Columbus when I was young. He married Deleana Mae Parsley when I was 8 years old. God Blessed me, I had great parents, step parents and my adoptive parents were the backbone of my life, they taught me to love and respect everyone, try and find the good in everyone. Daddy John always said "If you don't have something good to say keep your mouth shut" ( this was very hard for me) If something enters my head it is generally out of my mouth before I think. When I was 14 years old my adoptive parents decided they wanted to make the move to the large city of Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio to be near my mother. I left West Virginia kicking and screaming. Cleveland is where I met my future husband when I was 16, we met at a campground called Osage Park. We married on 3 May 1980 in a church wedding at West Park Luthern Church. We had 2 children. We separated in 1986 and did not divorce until August 1989. I was next in a relationship with David Arnold Othberg, we never married, but had a son. the next two marriages were nothing to talk about, abusive is the only word I will use (taking daddy Johns advice nothing nice to say). My last husband was the Love of my Life, Hugh Edward Brooks Sr., I lost him to Cirrhosis of the Live in 2005.

I worked many jobs in my life, but I loved working for The Leader Mortgage Co., I was given an opportunity to work in a growing industry which we catered to first time homebuyers. I moved up in a career that I enjoyed and made department manager within 6 months of being hired into the company. U.S. Bank Home mortgage bought our company and again I was given many opportunities within the Bank. I was an Asst. Vice President of Office Administration. It would take more space here to explain everything I was in charge of, but everyday was a challenge and no two days were the same.

I am the grandmother of 7, one of them watches over us from Heaven.

I started doing genealogy when my husband passed away. It was what kept me from falling completely apart. I buried myself in my family. I had always been interested in History and I have always loved to learn. I have made many connections over the years with family that we didn't know where they went. I have been able to see pictures that have been shared with my of family members that our long gone but not forgotten.

Sources

• First-hand information. Entered by Mary Howell at registration.