Mabel Irene Howell – Metropolitan Funeral
Mabel Irene Howell was born to the late Johnnie Matthew Jones and Mary Ellis Jones on November 7, 1926 in Ivor, Virginia. She was called to eternal rest on November 21, 2022 at 96 years of age. Mabel received her education in Ivor County School District. She worked at the City of Suffolk Courthouse and the Virginia Census Bureau and was a loving mother and homemaker.
Mabel was baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and received the gift of the Holy Ghost at a early age with evidence of speaking in tongues. She served the Lord faithfully with her whole heart and was a member of the Holy Trinity Church Federation. In her later years she served on Deaconess board. You would often see her witnessing, singing, and rejoicing in the Lord. She was a true worshipper. Mabel enjoyed reading the bible, evangelizing, gardening, crabbing, fishing, cooking, pickling vegetables, sewing, and spending time with her children and grandchildren, teaching them the way of salvation.
She was very loving and hospitable to all and helped everyone as she traveled along life’s journey.
Mabel participated in the NAACP Civil Rights March with the late Dr. Martin Luther King during the Southern Christen Leadership Conference on June 28, 1963, in Suffolk, VA. It was a honor for her to attend the rally and sit within arms reach of Dr. King at café counter.
Mabel’s memory will forever be cherished by her children James Howell Jr. of Irvington, NJ; Enos Howell (Shelly) of Thousand Oaks, CA, Lonnie Howell (Selamawit) of Suffolk, VA; Laura Howell of Virginia Beach; Timothy Howell (Marsha) of Portsmouth, VA; Theresa Reyes-Dunn (Marvin) of Adelphi, MD; Iris Jackson of Menifee, CA and special daughter Theresa Martinez (Ricardo) of Oxford, CT. Twenty-eight grandchildren, Twenty great-grandchildren, two great-great grandchildren, her only surviving sibling Gracie Bunch of Suffolk, VA, a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. She was preceded in death by her husband James T. Howell Sr; daughters Mary L. Reid and Barbara J. Campbell; grandson Timothy “Braxton” Howell; siblings Ruth Jones, Mary Jones, Johnnie Mae Mitchell, Rebecca Stevenson, and brothers Thomas Jones and Enos Jones.
