Albina Howard

Albina (Marek) Howard, age 90, of West, formerly of Penelope, passed away early Monday morning, January 20, 2014 at Hillcrest Medical Center in Waco. Funeral services will be held 2:00 p.m. Thursday at the Aderhold Funeral Home Chapel in West, with Minister Johnny Stephens officiating. Burial will follow at St. Mary's Cemetery near West. The family will receive visitors from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home. Mrs. Howard was born August 7, 1923 in Penelope, the daughter of Frank and Mary (Krolik) Marek. She attended Penelope School and was the valedictorian of the 1941 class. On July 24, 1948, she was united in marriage to Rufus Jarvis Howard in Waco. They were neighbors and dated over four years before marrying. Albina helped her husband with farming and raising cattle and worked at Kreditor's Manufacturing Company in Hubbard for over 23 years until her retirement in 1984. She was an excellent seamstress and made her daughter's clothes for school. While her daughter was in elementary school, she always enjoyed being a room mother for parties. Albina was a member of Columbus Avenue Church of Christ in Waco. She enjoyed attending Les Causeuses functions and Senior Circle events at Hill Regional Hospital. She loved hummingbirds, butterflies, flowers, and her cats. She also enjoyed collecting cookbooks, where she found many new recipes, quilting with her sisters before she got married, cooking, baking, canning fruits and vegetables and spending time with her family. Albina is preceded in death by her parents; two brothers, Frank Marek and Joe Marek; and three sisters, Mary Marek, Lillie Marek, and Leona Kolar. Survivors include her beloved husband of 65 years, Rufus Howard of West; a daughter, Sharon Howard of West; two sisters, Willie Mae Skerik and Josephine Kallus, both of Abbott; two brothers, Eugene Marek and wife Betty of Dallas and Leon Marek and wife Kathy of Bellmead; two sisters-in-law, Annie Mae Marek and Melba Howard; four brothers-in-law, Alfons Kolar, Jink Howard and wife Wanda, Gerald Howard and wife Glenda and Jack Howard and wife Bobbie; and many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. Pallbearers are Thomas Kolar, Ronnie Skerik, Gary "Peanut" Marek, Michael Marek, David Kallus, and Kenneth Kolar. Memorials may be made to Columbus Avenue Church of Christ, 1525 Columbus Avenue, Waco, Texas 76701.