A trailblazer for South Carolina newspaperwomen, Frances "Pinkie" Haynsworth Hildebrand Howell died at her Sumter home Wednesday at the age of 79.
Mrs Howell joined The Item as a cub reporter in 1941 and retired in 1963 as news editor. The South Carolina Press Association named her SC Newspaperwoman of the Year in 1955.
A Sumter native, she was a graduate of Edmunds High School. She received her bachelor's degree from Coker College and a master's degree from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism in New York City in 1940.
She was a daughter of the late Hugh Charles and Emilie Beattie Haynsworth.
Mrs Howell joined the staff of her hometown newspaper, The Item, in 1941. "Pinkie was the guiding light of The Item's newsroom for over 20 years," Item Publisher Hubert Osteen said. "She did everything: She edited, assigned stories, wrote stories, assigned photos, laid out pages, wrote headlines and captions, Handled reporters and photographers and dealt with the public. She was versatile, bright, creative, witty, compassionate, and, when the situation warranted it, quite outspoken."
After her retirement, Mrs Howell continued to pass her knowledge along by teaching mass communications and the history and philosophy of journalism at the University of South Carolina's Sumter campus.
Mrs Howell was first married to Russell Marshall Hildebrand Jr, and after his death, to the late Dr Thomas Wellington Howell, an Air Force colonel. She balanced her active career with the responsibilities of her family, which included three children.
She served as president of the Sumter Junior League and a number of other civic boards, and was a Sunday school teacher at Sumter's Episcopal Church of the Holy Comforter. She was a founding member of the Sumter Cotillion Club and a member of Sunset Country Club.
After Dr Howell's retirement in 1964, the couple lived for several years in Mansfield, Ohio, where she was active in civic and church activities.
Mrs Howell is survived by a son, Russell Marshall Hildebrand III of Hilton Head; two daughters, Emilie Beattie Hildebrand Secrist of Helen, Georgia, and Virginia Haynsworth Howell Taylor of Charleston; two stepsons, Thomas W Howell of Columbia, Charles E Howell of Millisociet, Maine, five grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
Services will be held at 1 pm Saturday at the Episcopal Church of the Holy Comforter. Burial will be in the Episcopal Church of the Holy Cross Cemetery in Stateburg.
Elmore-Hill-McCreight Funeral Home is in charge.
Dec 17, 1997,
Mrs Howell joined The Item as a cub reporter in 1941 and retired in 1963 as news editor. The South Carolina Press Association named her SC Newspaperwoman of the Year in 1955.
A Sumter native, she was a graduate of Edmunds High School. She received her bachelor's degree from Coker College and a master's degree from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism in New York City in 1940.
She was a daughter of the late Hugh Charles and Emilie Beattie Haynsworth.
Mrs Howell joined the staff of her hometown newspaper, The Item, in 1941. "Pinkie was the guiding light of The Item's newsroom for over 20 years," Item Publisher Hubert Osteen said. "She did everything: She edited, assigned stories, wrote stories, assigned photos, laid out pages, wrote headlines and captions, Handled reporters and photographers and dealt with the public. She was versatile, bright, creative, witty, compassionate, and, when the situation warranted it, quite outspoken."
After her retirement, Mrs Howell continued to pass her knowledge along by teaching mass communications and the history and philosophy of journalism at the University of South Carolina's Sumter campus.
Mrs Howell was first married to Russell Marshall Hildebrand Jr, and after his death, to the late Dr Thomas Wellington Howell, an Air Force colonel. She balanced her active career with the responsibilities of her family, which included three children.
She served as president of the Sumter Junior League and a number of other civic boards, and was a Sunday school teacher at Sumter's Episcopal Church of the Holy Comforter. She was a founding member of the Sumter Cotillion Club and a member of Sunset Country Club.
After Dr Howell's retirement in 1964, the couple lived for several years in Mansfield, Ohio, where she was active in civic and church activities.
Mrs Howell is survived by a son, Russell Marshall Hildebrand III of Hilton Head; two daughters, Emilie Beattie Hildebrand Secrist of Helen, Georgia, and Virginia Haynsworth Howell Taylor of Charleston; two stepsons, Thomas W Howell of Columbia, Charles E Howell of Millisociet, Maine, five grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
Services will be held at 1 pm Saturday at the Episcopal Church of the Holy Comforter. Burial will be in the Episcopal Church of the Holy Cross Cemetery in Stateburg.
Elmore-Hill-McCreight Funeral Home is in charge.
Dec 17, 1997,
A trailblazer for South Carolina newspaperwomen, Frances "Pinkie" Haynsworth Hildebrand Howell died at her Sumter home Wednesday at the age of 79.
Mrs Howell joined The Item as a cub reporter in 1941 and retired in 1963 as news editor. The South Carolina Press Association named her SC Newspaperwoman of the Year in 1955.
A Sumter native, she was a graduate of Edmunds High School. She received her bachelor's degree from Coker College and a master's degree from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism in New York City in 1940.
She was a daughter of the late Hugh Charles and Emilie Beattie Haynsworth.
Mrs Howell joined the staff of her hometown newspaper, The Item, in 1941. "Pinkie was the guiding light of The Item's newsroom for over 20 years," Item Publisher Hubert Osteen said. "She did everything: She edited, assigned stories, wrote stories, assigned photos, laid out pages, wrote headlines and captions, Handled reporters and photographers and dealt with the public. She was versatile, bright, creative, witty, compassionate, and, when the situation warranted it, quite outspoken."
After her retirement, Mrs Howell continued to pass her knowledge along by teaching mass communications and the history and philosophy of journalism at the University of South Carolina's Sumter campus.
Mrs Howell was first married to Russell Marshall Hildebrand Jr, and after his death, to the late Dr Thomas Wellington Howell, an Air Force colonel. She balanced her active career with the responsibilities of her family, which included three children.
She served as president of the Sumter Junior League and a number of other civic boards, and was a Sunday school teacher at Sumter's Episcopal Church of the Holy Comforter. She was a founding member of the Sumter Cotillion Club and a member of Sunset Country Club.
After Dr Howell's retirement in 1964, the couple lived for several years in Mansfield, Ohio, where she was active in civic and church activities.
Mrs Howell is survived by a son, Russell Marshall Hildebrand III of Hilton Head; two daughters, Emilie Beattie Hildebrand Secrist of Helen, Georgia, and Virginia Haynsworth Howell Taylor of Charleston; two stepsons, Thomas W Howell of Columbia, Charles E Howell of Millisociet, Maine, five grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
Services will be held at 1 pm Saturday at the Episcopal Church of the Holy Comforter. Burial will be in the Episcopal Church of the Holy Cross Cemetery in Stateburg.
Elmore-Hill-McCreight Funeral Home is in charge.
Dec 17, 1997,
Mrs Howell joined The Item as a cub reporter in 1941 and retired in 1963 as news editor. The South Carolina Press Association named her SC Newspaperwoman of the Year in 1955.
A Sumter native, she was a graduate of Edmunds High School. She received her bachelor's degree from Coker College and a master's degree from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism in New York City in 1940.
She was a daughter of the late Hugh Charles and Emilie Beattie Haynsworth.
Mrs Howell joined the staff of her hometown newspaper, The Item, in 1941. "Pinkie was the guiding light of The Item's newsroom for over 20 years," Item Publisher Hubert Osteen said. "She did everything: She edited, assigned stories, wrote stories, assigned photos, laid out pages, wrote headlines and captions, Handled reporters and photographers and dealt with the public. She was versatile, bright, creative, witty, compassionate, and, when the situation warranted it, quite outspoken."
After her retirement, Mrs Howell continued to pass her knowledge along by teaching mass communications and the history and philosophy of journalism at the University of South Carolina's Sumter campus.
Mrs Howell was first married to Russell Marshall Hildebrand Jr, and after his death, to the late Dr Thomas Wellington Howell, an Air Force colonel. She balanced her active career with the responsibilities of her family, which included three children.
She served as president of the Sumter Junior League and a number of other civic boards, and was a Sunday school teacher at Sumter's Episcopal Church of the Holy Comforter. She was a founding member of the Sumter Cotillion Club and a member of Sunset Country Club.
After Dr Howell's retirement in 1964, the couple lived for several years in Mansfield, Ohio, where she was active in civic and church activities.
Mrs Howell is survived by a son, Russell Marshall Hildebrand III of Hilton Head; two daughters, Emilie Beattie Hildebrand Secrist of Helen, Georgia, and Virginia Haynsworth Howell Taylor of Charleston; two stepsons, Thomas W Howell of Columbia, Charles E Howell of Millisociet, Maine, five grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
Services will be held at 1 pm Saturday at the Episcopal Church of the Holy Comforter. Burial will be in the Episcopal Church of the Holy Cross Cemetery in Stateburg.
Elmore-Hill-McCreight Funeral Home is in charge.
Dec 17, 1997,
Inscription
O Lord support us all the day long,
until the shadows lengthen and the
evening comes, and the busy world is
hushed, and the fever of life is over,
and our work is done. Then in thy mercy
grant us safe lodging and a holy rest,
and peace at the last.
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