Obituary

Funeral services for Monte Howard, 68, of Elida, will be held at 10:00 AM, Wed., Aug. 16, 2023 in the Wheeler Mortuary Chapel with Pastor Wayne Kinman officiating, assisted by Stephen Thetford.  Burial will follow in the Portales Cemetery at the side of his son with Dan Howard, Kim Howard, Rocky Brakebill, Roy Lee Criswell, Kerry Osburn and Cody Hintz serving as pallbearers.  All of Monte’s coffee drinking buddies and his arrowhead hunting friends will serve as honorary pallbearers.

Monte Lee Howard was born Jan. 29, 1955 in Portales to the home of Thelma “Maurene” and Jakie Guiton Howard, and died in Lubbock, TX on Sunday morning, Aug. 13, 2023.  Monte grew up at South Camp on the Lewis Cooper Ranch.  He graduated from Elida High School in 1973, having played baseball and basketball during his high school years.  Even before he graduated, he was working for Jim Calvert’s branding crew.  He continued working there for a few more years, and sold the “Mountain Oysters” he harvested to local restaurants.  On April 9, 1977 he was married to Teresa Thetford.  The couple had two children together.

When he left the branding crew, he began working at Blackwater Land and Cattle.  In 1980, he went to work for his father-in-law on his farm in Rogers.  In the early 1990’s he began driving a cattle truck.  He also worked for Mack Ainsworth and Blake Inge before becoming the Farm Manager for the New Mexico Baptist Children’s Home in 2006.  Following the death of his father in 2015, Monte returned to the family ranch to manage it until his death.

Monte was a member of the Dora Baptist Church.  He was an avid arrowhead hunter, and was extremely proud of his collection.  He studied about them, read books about arrowheads, and loved to see other people’s collections.  Monte was a gregarious man, and loved visiting with his coffee drinking friends and his fellow arrowhead collectors.

He is survived by his daughter, Meghen Howard of Portales; two brothers and sisters-in-law, Dan and Betty Howard of Elida and Kim and Jeanie Howard of Texico; a sister and brother-in-law, Ann and Kit Pettigrew of Portales; and his former wife, Teresa Howard of Rogers.  He was preceded in death by both of his parents, his sister, Charla Howard and by his only son, Jason Howard who died Feb. 21, 2003.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Monte Lee Howard, please visit our floral store.