Charles O. Howe (1913-1987)
MEMORIES
A few years ago I asked all my brothers and sister to provide me with their favorite
memories of Dad. Finally, I have taken the time to compile them. Here are their stories.
When the family lived on Fith Ave, in East Akron, I think I was in the 4th grade, Dad
would load up the family in the car and off we would go to grandma's house. Dad would go
straight up 5th and would tease Mom about making the hill. Thats 5th Ave hill. Beginning
at Arlington and 5th. Its a steep hill up past Hoban high, although Hoban didn't exist
back then. Mom would ask Dad not to do it but Dad would insist that we try.
Well us kids would get a kick out of it. I think Dad had and old Desota with fluid
drive and as we approached the stop light at the intersection he would time the light
so that he would get there when it was green and the race was on! Faster and faster we
went and flew thru the intersection and headed up the hill. In all my memory of these
events I can only remember getting to the top on one occasion, all the rest of the time
we would get maybe 75% up and the ole bettsy just couldn't go any further. Dad would put
it in reverse and slowly back down the hill with mother complaining all the way back down.
Again, I was still just a young boy and Dad would always take us for a ride. One day
Dad took us to the Akron Canton airport. Well it wasn't an airport yet but the runway
was built. Dad would swing around and stop at the end of the runway and again tease
Mom and us kids about taking off. Well you guessed it. Down the runway we sped with
Dad narrating the adventure and off we would go into the wild blue yonder. What and
adventure.
Jim Howe
As I and my younger brothers were growing up you would remember Dad cutting our
hair down in the basement. He always gave us a "crew cut", which was very short.
Something I myself never liked! And how Dad like to take movies of us and the spot
light he would use was so bright that it would almost blind you. I remember how we
would all sit down at night and watch "home movies". I recall it was something to
look forward to watching those "home movies", even the ones he had of the shop.
I also remember Dad taking us for a Sunday drive and when we got back home we would
have ice cream and cake. Which I thought was a real treat! I can also remember helping
Dad on many of his projects around the house. I learned a lot form him on those projects.
Whether it was soldering copper pipe together or mixing up cement. Some of the projects I
remember were fixing up the basement wall under the front porch, redoing the bathroom
and the kitchen.
When I was old enough and was able to go to work with Dad at the shop, Dad taught me
how to run the screw machines(Acmes and New Brittans). Dad taught me and a few of my
brothers the screw machine trade. I never worked up in Cleveland, but I did work with
Dad up in Macedonia until he retired. The saddest day and memory I have of Dad is the
day he died.
Ed Howe
Remember Christmas morning when we would all open up presents. Daddy was there taking
movie pictures. He would tell us to look at the camera and wow! we couldn't see it
because of the bright lights. Did you ever see such lights. Four of them! I thought
I would go blind looking at them. I also enjoyed the time he would set up the projector
and show the movies he took.
I remember being in Children's hospital at 16 years old the day before I was scheduled
to have surgery on my back. Mom had left to go home and Dad stopped in on his way home
from work. I was feeling alone and scared. Daddy held my hand and told me everything would
be ok. He was right it was. I'll always remember the Easter corsages that he got from
Cottage Floral. He got Mom and me the most beautiful carmaleon corsages. The only problem
was they didn't match our Easter outfits. Mom and I knew it was the thought that counted,
but we would giggle about the clash of color.
I have a Valentines day card that Dad sent me that I will always treasure. I remember
an Easter Sunday that Dad asked me if I wanted to go driving. I had my temporary driving
permit then and we went down to the Miracle Mart on Wilbeth Road and he let me practice
driving the his car in the store parking lot. Finally, the day came and I got my
drivers license. I know that he was very proud of my accomplishments.
And there are the times we would go and look for a Christmas tree. There were several
different places we would go around town to try and find the perfect tree. I remember
one Christmas when we went looking for Christmas trees, Dad wasn't feeling so well and
he let me drive the car home.
I remember once when Dad was working on the washing machine he drop a small wrench
inside and I was the only one with small enough arms and hands to reach in and get it
out. And Dad was a real fix-it man and on many occasions when I owned my own home, he
helped make repairs. I could go on and on about so many other memories, but these are
some of my most treasured memories.
Dorothy Ann Howe
My first memories of Dad were of sitting on his lap when I was about 4 or 5 years
of age. I remember dad having to work late most evenings but he would always take a
minute or two out for us to sit on his lap. He also used to cut our hair in the basement.
I never liked those damn hair cuts, but what else could I do. In any event my older
brothers got the same cuts, so I didn't feel all that bad. I guess Mom and Dad felt
we would looked like gentlemen, but I guess that was the time we lived in.
I can't recall Dad ever missing church on Sundays, he always went. I guess thats why
I still go. He taught me the lesson that we need God in our lives. As I grew older I had
the great privilege to work with Dad at Delker up in Macedonia. I learned a lot from him,
especially how to sharpen drill bits and form tools.
I was working with and brother Don at the shop one day. Dad was trying to cut a piece
of stainless steel sheet metal to put on the front door of the shop. Even though he scribed
a line the electric shears he was using kept moving off the line. He became so frustrated
and mad he pulled out the shears and threw on the bench. And to my surprise and Don's, he
said I thinks it time for a King Dong, which was a snack cake of the times for lunches. We
all started to laugh about the whole thing afterwards.
I realize Dad was laughing at himself. What a great gift he passed on to me. He was truly
a proud and loving father.
Mike Howe
I remember being very small about 5 or 6, and sitting in Dad's lap after supper watching
Star Trek. Perhaps thats why I enjoy watching Star Trek so much today. I also remember
some Saturdays when Dad wasn't working, we would go to the grocery store to get groceries
and he would tell us to go and pick something out. A model, or baseball and he would but
it for us. I also remember the trips he took us on to Sea World.
Victor Howe
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