Howell-Darling Line, Part 002
By Don Taylor
This installment of “Faces from the Past” continues with two photographs from my wife’s Howell family line. (Three additional images in this batch show people who are still living, so I’m setting those aside for now.)
Howell Family Event
Description: A large, multi-generational family portrait taken indoors, likely to mark a special occasion. The group is arranged in layers against a neutral wall, with a set of closed double doors in the background.
There are no notes or imprints on the back of the photo. Based on the fashions, hairstyles, eyeglasses, and photo quality, Gemini.ai estimates the photo was taken between 1976 and 1981.
Identification: My wife is fairly confident that the man in the second row, far right (#25), is her uncle Frank. She suspects the woman with the flowers in the middle (#22) may be her grandmother, Mary Lillian (Hobbs) Howell.
Research: Mary (Hobbs) Howell (1885–1963) died in 1963 — which conflicts with the estimated 1976–1981 date range. If she is indeed in the photo, the dating estimate is off; further research is needed to resolve the discrepancy.
If any of the unidentified individuals in this photo look familiar to you, I’d love to hear from you. Even a small detail can help fill out the family record.
Sara & Bookie — J.D. Howell’s Wife and Daughter
Description: A 3½” x 5″ photo of two smiling women standing together beneath a large, mature tree on a sunny day. Handwritten on the back: “Sara & Bookie — J D Howell’s wife and daughter.” A Kodak print imprint on the photo reads “Aug 77.”
Research: My wife’s uncle, James Dallas Howell, Jr., was married to Sara, and the couple had a daughter known as “Bookie.” I located Sara’s obituary — she lived to be 101. Sadly, “Bookie” died in 2014 at just 57.
Identification: In 1977, Sara would have been about 61 and “Bookie” about 20 — consistent with the apparent ages of the two women in the photo.
- Sara McCarley (Nance) Howell (1916–2017) — FamilySearch ID: GZQ9-N6Y.
- Sara “Bookie” Lee Howell (1957–2014) — no FamilySearch profile on record.
Conclusion
My continuing goal is to share these family images with the families and communities to whom they belong — ensuring they are preserved, understood, and passed down for future generations.
Endnotes
[i] All photos courtesy of the author’s personal collection.