Huston Donald "Red" Howard was born January 8, 1929, in Greenwood, KY, to Huston Daniel and Lora (Mills) Howard. He was the youngest of eight children: Oval, Felix "Pete," Wade, Bessie, Steve, Jane "Rusty," and Ruby.
He was raised in a rural area of Kentucky called Blue John where he completed the 8th grade (later acquiring his G.E.D certificate) and attended the Baptist Church. He often spoke of going to church three times a week - "whether he wanted to or not" - riding behind his father on a mule, being barefoot and carrying his father's Bible. He was of great personal religious faith and devotion to his church.
This is where he began developing his talent of playing a guitar - spending hours in the "woods" practicing and expanding his God given talent that, unknown to him at that time, would be a major part of his life.
Growing up during the Great Depression, times were tough, and jobs were not to be had. Consequently, he migrated to Cincinnati, OH, seeking employment. He worked in the Lunkenheimer valve factory. With the knowledge that he was soon to be up for the draft into the Army. Wanting to choose his branch of service, he enlisted in the U.S. Airforce in the fall of 1948. After basic training in Texas and some specialized training in Colorado Springs, CO, he was sent to Rapid City, SD, - Weaver Air Force Base, later named Ellsworth AFB. He served his entire remaining four years there and was honorably discharged June 20, 1952, at which time he returned to Cincinnati.
As fate would have it during his time at Ellsworth AFB and after he became more localized, he ventured to Sturgis, SD, where he met his bride to be, Audrae Fitzgerald, at Wigg's Lunch Café after attending a basketball game. After an extensive dating period, it became evident that he wanted to make it a permanent life-time date. Consequently, he and Audrae were married on October 25, 1952, in Cincinnati, OH. To this union, they added three children: Gary (born in 1953), Cynthia (born in 1955), and Rhett (born in 1963).
Both having common interests of music, they chose to "reach for the stars" and pursue their dreams of playing country music. They played semi-professionally throughout the United States, playing both on radio and TV. They traveled with the WLW-TV group throughout the New England States and Canada.
After moving back to Sturgis in late 1952, they later extended their musical travel throughout the local Midwest states. In review, they played in approximately one fourth of the continental U.S. and into Canada.
During those first eight years of their marriage, they moved back and forth from Cincinnati (where he was employed at auto manufacturing plants) to South Dakota where he worked in various carpentry construction jobs and ultimately began working for the SD State Highway Dept. as a highway equipment operator, etc. He continued working there until his retirement in 1989. He spent most of his life enjoying woodworking, hunting, fishing, and boating at local waters or on the Oahe River. Starting with camping in tents - later to campers - then ultimately to having a "fishing shack" first at West Whitlock Crossing and ultimately at Chantier Creek near Pierre, SD.
He lived an honorable life and knows that his family and friends will continue and move forward in that manner.
Red, age 89, died Monday, December 31, 2018, at the Dept. of Veterans Affairs, Fort Meade.
He is survived by his wife, Audrae; son, Gary (Beth); daughter, Cindy (Harley); son, Rhett (Sue); seven grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents and all his siblings.
Visitation will be 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Thursday, January 3, at Kinkade Funeral Chapel in Sturgis.
Funeral services will be at 10:00 a.m. Friday, January 4, 2019, at the First Presbyterian Church in Sturgis with Reverend Denzel Nonhof and Pastor Harold Delbridge officiating. Burial, with military honors, will follow at Black Hills National Cemetery near Sturgis.
A memorial has been established to the Hospice Unit at the Fort Meade VA.

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