Bonnie Margene Howard
October 12, 1948 — June 21, 2023
Bonnie "Margene" Howard, 74, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, passed away at home on Wednesday, June 21, 2023, after a brief battle with cancer. She was born October 12, 1948, in Springville, Iowa, the beloved daughter of Kenneth and Mary (Jamison) Jones.
Throughout her life, Margene loved to care for children. Over the course of two and a half decades, she and her husband loved and cared for over 120 foster children. Margene later worked for Head Start and Linn County Daycare, caring for local children for another two decades. In addition to this, she enjoyed working a number of years at Cedar Rapids events at all of the various venues from the Paramount Theater to the Alliant Energy PowerHouse and more. Through this work, she was also able to volunteer and donate to several homeless shelters in town.
Margene loved music. In addition to singing in a church choir for many years, she sang in Sweet Adelines International for 26 years, spending most of that time with the Cedar Sounds Chorus and quartets. Margene also loved to travel. When their children were young, she loved traveling across the country, camping with her husband, children, and also extended family. In later years, she loved traveling with friends, especially to see touring Broadway shows in Chicago, and she was always ready to take a willing traveler with her. Two of her favorite trips were to see her ancestral home of Scotland and a cruise to Alaska to see the Aurora Borealis.
Margene is survived by her husband, John William Howard; son, Brandon Howard; two daughters, Patrice McMahan and Danyal Morris; two sisters-in-law, Louwanna (Edward) Morris and Pamela (Scott) Shafer; and nephews, a niece, and many cousins.
Margene was a rare person of compassion, love, acceptance, and loyalty. Her memory will live on in the lives of the children she cared for in her home and in her life. May she rest in peace.
The family would like to welcome anyone who wants to honor Margene to a Visitation on July 6th, 2023, at 4 p.m. and the Service following at 6 p.m. at Murdoch Funeral Home in Marion, Iowa.
Please share a memory of Bonnie at www.murdochfuneralhome.com under obituaries.
Throughout her life, Margene loved to care for children. Over the course of two and a half decades, she and her husband loved and cared for over 120 foster children. Margene later worked for Head Start and Linn County Daycare, caring for local children for another two decades. In addition to this, she enjoyed working a number of years at Cedar Rapids events at all of the various venues from the Paramount Theater to the Alliant Energy PowerHouse and more. Through this work, she was also able to volunteer and donate to several homeless shelters in town.
Margene loved music. In addition to singing in a church choir for many years, she sang in Sweet Adelines International for 26 years, spending most of that time with the Cedar Sounds Chorus and quartets. Margene also loved to travel. When their children were young, she loved traveling across the country, camping with her husband, children, and also extended family. In later years, she loved traveling with friends, especially to see touring Broadway shows in Chicago, and she was always ready to take a willing traveler with her. Two of her favorite trips were to see her ancestral home of Scotland and a cruise to Alaska to see the Aurora Borealis.
Margene is survived by her husband, John William Howard; son, Brandon Howard; two daughters, Patrice McMahan and Danyal Morris; two sisters-in-law, Louwanna (Edward) Morris and Pamela (Scott) Shafer; and nephews, a niece, and many cousins.
Margene was a rare person of compassion, love, acceptance, and loyalty. Her memory will live on in the lives of the children she cared for in her home and in her life. May she rest in peace.
The family would like to welcome anyone who wants to honor Margene to a Visitation on July 6th, 2023, at 4 p.m. and the Service following at 6 p.m. at Murdoch Funeral Home in Marion, Iowa.
Please share a memory of Bonnie at www.murdochfuneralhome.com under obituaries.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Bonnie Margene Howard, please visit our flower store.