Mary Eloise Howzell-Barnes, the sister of Dr. Laura Young, Associate Professor of Education at Cal State San Bernardino, died after a long illness. She lived in Little Rock, CA.
She was an accomplished pianist, seamstress, gourmet cook, book collector, mother, and wife.
Although she was a single parent, she overcame all obstacles to send her daughter to Lynwood Seventh Day Adventist Academy.
Her life was complete when she met and married her husband of eight years, Lynwood Randolph Barnes.
Born in Bainbridge, GA to Albert and Lenia Collins Howzell, Mary was the first child in the family to be baptized into an Adventist church that was founded by her parents.
The family moved to Florida, New York, and California. Mary was the first African American to graduate from Liverpool High School in Syracuse, N.Y.
In 1958 the family moved to Los Angeles and she attended Los Angeles City College.
In her pre-teen years, she served as a church pianist and sang in the choir at University Church.
Later in life she became wheelchair dependent but she continued her work of feeding the poor in the High Desert.
On December 10, 1995, she married her fathers best friend. It was a marriage made in heaven and the last eight years were wonderful. When she became ill she was well cared for by Lynwood.
Howzell-Barnes funeral was held last Thursday, May 15 in Palmdale. Interment was at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Covina, CA.
She leaves to cherish her memory her husband Lynwood Randolph Barnes of Littlerock; a daughter Laura Evette Green-Ahmed; a son in law, Abdul Majeed Ahmed, Sr; a grandson, Abdul Majeed Ahmed, Jr. of Lancaster, California; her father, Albert Howzell Sr. of Lancaster;
three brothers, Albert Howzell, Jr. of Culver City, Elder James Howzell, Sr. of Los Angeles, Nathaniel Howzell of Los Angeles; three sisters, Dr. Laura Howzell Young of San Bernardino, Dorothy Howzell Lewis of Moreno Valley, Jeanette Howzell Cleveland of Pomona; three brothers in law, three sisters in law, two stepsons, Rohnie Royster of Oakland, CA., Dennis Barnes of Topeka, Kansas;
one step-daughter Marion Pollard of Omaha, Nebraska, 12 nieces and nephews, eight great nieces and nephews, three aunts, Annie Lee Brown of Apopka, Florida, Rosa Lee Howzell Collins of Bainbridge, Georgia, Eloise Collins of Tallahassee, Florida; two uncles, Ralph Blackshear of Syracuse, New York and Selven Collins of Tallahassee, Florida; a host of first and second cousins and many friends.
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