William Howell Graveside Service

Opening Prayer and Introduction.

Opening Prayer

Father, we come to you in the Name of Jesus.

Help us in our time of loss.

Grant the comfort that only You can give.

Guide us as we remember the life of your servant Bill Howell.

We ask these things in the Name of Your Son, Jesus.

Amen

We are here to remember the extraordinary life of William Stanley Howell.

Born: January 21, 1925

Died: July 28, 2021 at the age of 96 1/2

Bill Howell answered the call to serve in the U.S. Navy during WW2

The North Georgia Honor Guard will render honors at this time.

Bill Howell’s Hope

1 Corinthians 15:19–22 NASB 2020

19 If we have hoped in Christ only in this life, we are of all people most to be pitied. 20 But the fact is, Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. 21 For since by a man death came, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.

Brother Howell and I have been acquainted for over 11 years.

In that time we spoke about many things.

One of the things nearest to his heart for the past 30 years has been the Chaplains Ministry at Union General Hospital.

I know he was disappointed that I never became part of that ministry.

In fact, when I first came here 11 1/2 years ago he came to one of our services to meet me and recruit me to be a chaplain at the hospital.

I explained to him that I was unable to fit that ministry into my schedule since, as soon as I starting pastoring here, I became involved in the Union County Ministers Association ministry to people in crisis financial needs.

I know he was disappointed in me, but pastors cannot do everything that everyone wants them to do.

And, whereas, I may not have been a chaplain, I have regularly visited folks in the hospital during my 35 years of ministry

In fact, I went to visit him in the ICU of UGH Sunday before last.

He was telling me about his continued faithfulness to visit folks at the hospital, right up to just before He went into the hospital a few weeks ago to get a pacemaker for his heart.

He was disappointed that the last time he went to the hospital there were only 2 people who indicated on their admission forms that they would like a visit from a chaplain.

We talked about how that over the years fewer and fewer people seem to want a visit from a chaplain.

But he was faithful even when there were only a few to visit.

When I had visited him a few weeks earlier, when he was at the Ronnie Green Heart Center in Gainesville, on the day he received his pacemaker.

As we were visiting he asked me, “Pastor, I wonder why I am still here. Why am I still alive?”

Most of us who knew him were amazed at how God had brought him through many health crises over the past few years. Several times we were told he would die, but God brought him back and kept him alive.

I guess it was year before last I was told he was at UGH and about to die, so I jumped in the car and rushed over the the hospital only to find him being wheeled out the front door of the hospital so that Lee could take him home. I told him, “I have to believe that the reports of your impending death are not true!”

But, at the Ronnie Green Heart Center, I said to him, “Brother Howell, I believe God has kept you here for 96 years so that you can continue to speak of Jesus to people and pray with them. You may not stand in a pulpit and preach to masses of people, but God has given you a one-on-one ministry to people. You are a blessing to people one person at a time.”

And Bill Howell was a blessing!

And now he is being blessed by his Savior and Lord, Jesus.

The scripture that I read a moment ago tells us of the hope we have in Jesus.

It is not a hope just for this world — although faith in Jesus gives us the hope we need to get through this life.

As I mentioned last night in service, and Brother Bill would have been there if he could have been.

He loved coming to church Sunday morning AND Sunday evening.

But I as I mentioned last night, the Bible tells us that the hope that Jesus gives us for this present life “is both sure and steadfast.” Hope in Jesus is the power we need to make it through this life.

But, if the hope that is in Jesus was JUST for this life, the Apostle Paul tells us that we would be a people to be pitied.

But as the scripture declares, our hope in Jesus goes beyond the grave.

Bill Howell is now more alive than he was in this life, because he died in relationship with Jesus.

He is in a place:

With no more covid

Brother Howell had had both vaccinations for covid and yet they said he tested positive — both in Gainesville and here at UGH.

When I went to see him after he got his pacemaker that had him in a room with a huge blower running in the corner of the room.

He was confused the first time i saw him there. He thought he was in a construction trailer. that they weren’t bringing him any food.

He may have tested positive for covid, but I think it was a false positive. He suffered because of those positive tests.

But he is in a place where there is no more sickness — including covid!

With no more loneliness.

Will, Sunday before last, when I was visiting with your grandfather, I asked about family.

He told me about you!

I believe he was so happy to be reunited with you a few years ago.

But now he is reunited with all those who have died in Christ.

No more loneliness.

No more sadness or tears.

Where there is joy forevermore.

That is the hope that all who are in relationship with Jesus have.

Like Brother Bill, we can have that relationship with Jesus if we will repent of our sins and completely surrender control of our lives to Him.

Through relationship with Jesus we have hope in this life and even after death.

Closing Prayer

Lord, we thank you that as … says, You are

Romans 15:13 (NASB 2020)

… the God of hope [who] fill [us] with all joy and peace in believing, so that [we] will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

I thank you that even in times of grief, loss and sadness we can have hope. A hope that gets us through each day of this life and a hope that enables us to face eternity with confidence and peace.

Bill Howell was a minster of that hope for 30 years at UGH. Thank You for his life. Thank You for his witness of You.

Please be with this family and these friends and acquaintances. There is a hole in our lives. Please grant your comfort.

We thank You for doing these things as we ask them in the Name of Jesus.

Amen

Committal:

The Minister’s Manual for Funerals (Service Only at Graveside)

Forasmuch as it has pleased Almighty God to take unto Himself the soul of William Howell, we offer the body to this place prepared for it, that ashes may return to ashes, dust to dust, and the imperishable spirit may forever be with the Lord.