Howell, Connie Ogden

Connie Ogden Howell, 84, of Cortez, Colo., died Thursday, Dec. 3, 2009, at Southwest Memorial Hospital, Cortez, after a brief illness. Memorial services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Monday at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church, Cortez. A reception will follow the memorial service in Mary Blake Hall, located at the church.

Connie's survivors include her husband, Ralph; her two children, Debi Cox and husband Kyle of Fort Collins/Durango, Colo., and Ralph Howell III of Mancos, Colo.; her granddaughter, Keelin Cox of Fort Collins, Colo., her sister, Bettie Miller of Anamosa; her sister-in-law, Mary Bliss and husband Robert of Lompoc, Calif.; and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents.

Connie was born on June 6, 1925, on the Ogden family farm near Anamosa, Iowa, the daughter of A. Parke Ogden and Pearl Lucile (Umbenhauer) Ogden. She graduated from Anamosa High School in 1942, and Coe College in 1947, with a degree in geology. She then attended graduate school at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo., working toward a degree in palynology.

Connie worked for a number of years in Caracas, Venezuela, where she was regarded as one of the top palynologists in that field. After returning from Venezuela, she became a partner in a palynological research lab in Boulder, Colo. There she married Ralph Howell on Oct. 31, 1952, in Denver, Colo. They returned to Venezuela, where they continued to live and work for a number of years. In 1960, they relocated to Grants, N.M., where they both worked in the uranium industry. In 1985, they moved to Mancos, Colo., where Connie worked at Nielson‘s Inc., until her retirement in 1991.

One of Connie's passions was volunteering at the BLM Anasazi Heritage Center Library, Dolores, Colo., from 1992 through 2002, and returning again in 2009. She cumulatively contributed over 1,300 hours and helped hundreds of library patrons, researchers, students and teachers. She will always be part of the Heritage Center's heart.

Connie will be remembered with a smile on her face, a sparkle in her eye and a kind word for everyone. She will be dearly missed by her loving family and many friends.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Connie's name to Habitat for Humanity International, 121 Habitat St., Americus, GA 31709-3498.

Arrangements are being made through Ertel Funeral Home.

For further information or to send condolences, log on to www.ertelfuneralhome.com and click on the obituary section.