Vance Wade Howell, 84, passed away peacefully at his home in Hyde Park on April 15, 2006.

Wade was born on January 18, 1922 in Lincoln, Idaho. He was the third child and second son born to Charles Rueben Howell and Verna Marie Hansen. When Wade was two years old, his parents separated and his mother returned to Utah where she and the four children made their home with her parents in Smithfield.

In December of 1929, when Wade was seven years old, his mother married John W. Matkin and she with the children moved to Hyde Park and joined Grandpa Matkin's family of six children. One year later, a last son, Jack, joined the family.

Wade married Faye Stuart on July 26, 1943 in Rapid City South Dakota where he was stationed prior to being shipped overseas. There marriage was solemnized in the Salt Lake Temple on September 2, 1943.

During World War II, Wade served as Technical Sergeant and Aerial Engineer on a B-17, "Flying Fortress." While flying over the Ploesti Oil Fields in Rumania on his 40th bombing mission, Wade was critically wounded. He recuperated over the next six months in military hospitals in Foggia, Italy and the Bushnell Hospital in Brigham City.

During much of his adult working life, Wade worked as a heavy equipment operator on road construction throughout the intermountain west. In 1987, Wade retired from the LeGrande Johnson Construction Company after working for them for twenty six years.

Following his retirement, Wade and Faye served as Temple Officiators in the Logan LDS Temple.

Wade loved to be outdoors, especially, when riding or driving his horses or working in his garden and well-kept yard, and when he was younger, playing for and coaching the Hyde Park Town Baseball Team in the "old" Cache Valley League. The annual deer hunting excursions and horse rides with his sons, son-in-law, close personal friends, and grandsons were the highlights of many, many fall seasons.

Wade is survived by his Faye and their four children: Stuart (Marsha) Howell of Hyde Park; Joyce Howell of Logan; Roger (Annette) Howell of North Ogden; and Jerilyn (Gregory) Larsen of Logan; ten grandchildren: Jonathan, Christopher, Sidney, Benjamin, Nathaniel, Trevor, Nicholas, Jessica, Jacob, and Heidi; and twenty two great grandchildren, with two scheduled to join the family this year. Wade is also survived by one sister, Shirley May, and three brothers: Doyle Howell, Eugene Matkin, and Jack Matkin.

He was preceded in death by his parents and stepfather; his sisters, Athalie Allen, Gladys Bingham, Myrle Whittle and Edna Richardson and brothers, Lloyd and Delmar Matkin.

Funeral services will be held at 12:00 noon on Wednesday, April 19th in the Hyde Park 5th Ward chapel with Bishop Vic Sorensen conducting. Friends may call at the Allen-Cranney Mortuary, 420 East 1800 North, North Logan, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 18th and at the church on Wednesday from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. prior to the services. Interment, with full military honors, will be in the Hyde Park City Cemetery. Condolences may be sent to the family and a register book signed at Allen Mortuaries.