Howard E. Stoaks

Funeral celebration of life services for Howard Stoaks, who passed away Sunday, Oct. 16, 2022, at Lenox Care Center, will be held 10 a.m. Friday, Oct. 21, at the Lenox Community Center. Visitation will be held from 3-7 p.m. with the family greeting friends from 5-7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 20 at the Lenox Community Center.

Instead of flowers, the family requests memorials be given in Howard’s name. Memories can be shared with the family at www.ritchiefuneralhome.com. Arrangements were entrusted to the Ritchie Funeral Home of Lenox, where we ‘Celebrate Life’.

Howard Eugene Stoaks was born Jan. 26, 1934, the son of Cleo (Joby) Stoaks and Hazel (Miller) Stoaks in Taylor County, Iowa. Howard was born and raised in the Taylor/Adams counties area. He grew up attending country school at Grant 10, and graduating from Lenox High School with the Class of 1952. After graduation Howard entered the United States Air Force where he served from May 5, 1953, to March 8, 1957, as a Staff Sergeant. He took basic training at Parks Air Force Base in California. He received special training at the Air Force base in Illinois and served at bases in South Dakota, Nouasseur Air Force Base in the French Morocco and Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska.

On Dec. 6, 1953, he was united in marriage to Dorothy Williams. To this loving union two boys were born, Gary Dean and Kurt Alan. In 1958, Howard and Dorothy purchased a farm northwest of Lenox. Dorothy passed away in 2002, and Howard continued to live on the farm until he moved to Vintage Park in 2018. This farm has been in the family for over 100 years. Howard loved the farm and the lifestyle it provided his family. The couple celebrated 40 years of marriage in December 1993. They enjoyed playing cards and dancing. In later years, they enjoyed vacationing in Branson, Missouri. Howard’s nickname was ‘ACE’ because he always had anything you needed to fix something, usually in his overall pockets.

Left to cherish Howard’s memory are his two sons, Gary (Teresa) Stoaks and Kurt (Amanda) Stoaks, all of Lenox; six grandchildren: Dawn (John) Shuler; Alicia (Rob) Hutt; Shane (Lindsay) Stoaks; Todd (Cooper) Stoaks; Jacy Stoaks and Tyra Stoaks; 13 great-grandkids: Dustin and Morgan Shuler; Lincoln, Hayden, Dylan and Zoey Hutt; Laramie, Laney and Hallie Stoaks and Kaycee and Addison Stoaks and three great-great-grandchildren: Elyne and Piper McNinch and Carter Mayer; along with many other family members and friends.

Preceding Howard in death are his parents, Cleo and Hazel Stoaks; his in-laws, Melvin and Bertha Williams; a sister, Katherine Wynn; a brother-in-law, Bill Williams and his loving wife Dororthy in 2002.

Howard was a great steward of the land and was a farmer through and through. May he be at peace in God’s loving care.