James Elliott Howie

Mr. James Elliott Howie, 83, died Friday, January 16, 2015, at The Haven in Pineville, N.C.The family will receive friends from 11 to 11:45 p.m., Tuesday, January 20, 2015 at Belair United Methodist Church. The funeral will follow at Noon, with the Rev. Barry Yates officiating. Burial will be at the church cemetery.Born in Indian Land, Mr. Howie was a son of the late Richard Hobson Howie and Myrtle Tysinger Howie. He really enjoyed his work at Lance, Inc. and retired after 37 years of service as a long distance truck driver. He loved telling the stories of all the places he had been and all the people he had met. It was a dream come true for him. When he was a boy he watched those big trucks roll down Highway 521 and always wanted to drive one.Mr. Howie loved his church and was a lifelong member of Belair United Methodist Church, the Men’s Club and the Lewis Fellowship Sunday School Class. One of his greatest joys was singing in the choir.Mr. Howie spent many years singing in several different Gospel Groups. He was a family man and was married to his sweetheart for 67 years. They raised four children and took pride in his grandchildren. Mr. Howie always had time to listen and shared his love with everyone. He wanted them to all know and love the Lord he served. Mr. Howie enjoyed fishing and gardening and his vegetables and flowers were a great joy to him. His Iris and tulips were the talk of Indian Land in the spring. A quite man, a peaceful man, he always told us when we were going out “Up Hold Our Good Name”. Now it is up to us to carry on and practice all he taught us. We ask you to remember him with laughter, he would not want tears.Surviving are his wife, Vivian Lemmond Howie; two sons, Jimmy Howie (Dianna) of Lancaster and Joseph “Joe” Howie (Amy) of Indian Land; two daughters, Judy Barfield (Al) of Indian Land and Jeania Blackwell (John) of Weddington, N.C.; his brother, Charles Ray Howie (Betty Jo) of Indian Land; his sister, Faye Thacker of Mayo, Fla.; ten grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.Memorial contributions may be made to Belair United Methodist Church, 8095 Shelley Mullis Road, Indian Land, SC 29707.Read Obituary