Howard Dean Sivells

The Sivells family moved around quite a bit when Howard was growing up, Brownwood, Sweetwater, Rocksprings, Smith and ended up in Georgetown. Howard (Dean, as his family called him) graduated from Georgetown High School. Howard met Mary Frances Fletcher while she attended college in Georgetown. They married at the Methodist church in Harper, TX on July 10, 1949. They lived in Georgetown and Austin until 1964. Howard worked for the Texas State Comptroller during that time. Howard served in the Army Reserves as Chief Clerk of the Adjutant General and Division Sergeant Major. He achieved the rank of Master Sergeant, 90th Infantry Division, earning commendations. Howard served for 12 years, being Honorably Discharged in 1962. Howard was also a member of the Texas Navy achieving rank of Admiral in 1959. Howard and Mary also earned their pilot’s licenses while in Austin.

In May 1964, Bradley Dale was born in Austin, but they soon moved to Harper, building a house on the Fletcher family ranch. James Everett joined the family in March 1966.

Howard worked in several professions after moving to Harper, including working for Pooch Harper at Harper Well Service, custom farming, ranching, hunting guide on the YO and Moody Ranches and Harper First State Bank. (Fun side note: While working at the bank, one of his coworkers, Elbert Feller, had his first grandchild and he opened a savings account for that little girl, only for that little girl to late become his daughter in law.) In 1980, he opened Sivells LP Gas Co. in Harper and Junction. He owned and operated the gas company until he sold it in 2006.

He served on Harper ISD school board, volunteered on Harper Fire Department and served as chief for a time. He was a member of the Lions Club, American Legion Post 650, helped build the former rodeo arena in the park, and assisted with the Legion Auxiliary Turkey Shoot for years. He attended services at the Harper Methodist Church and later was a member of Wild Ride Ministries in Harper.

Mary and Howard spent time fishing and camping, often traveling to New Mexico and Colorado but mostly spent time at Lake Buchanan, having a camper set up at Black Rock Cottages. He lost Mary to cancer in 1992.

He married Norma Jung in 2000 at Lake Buchanan, TX. They loved to travel and often went to visit Howard’s family in New Mexico, Norma’s family in Kansas and even went to Saudi Arabia. They travelled to Louisiana to go gambling at Coushatta with friends, and they travelled with his sister, Doris and Joe on some very memorable trips. Howard and Norma always made sure to attend the sand drags to watch Brad and Dylan compete.

They often spent time at the lake, loving being on the boat and fishing. About 1998, Howard and Norma, Brad and Jim and wives purchased the first trailer at Bluffton Trailer Park. Norma bought a second house at Bluffton. Her and Howard became almost full time residents at Bluffton soon after.

After losing Norma in a car accident in 2016, Howard remained at Bluffton with the many friends that became family. He enjoyed happy hour on his deck every day at 5 with friends from the park. He enjoyed sitting on his deck watching over the lake, especially after he couldn’t go out on the boat as he would have liked. He loved patrolling the park every day in his golf cart, or he would go in his truck if the cart didn’t allow. He would often be at your door before you got your bags carried in. He mowed and weed eated many yards for several years. Even after he could no longer weed eat, he continued to mow well into his 90s. He worked hard to stay active until a few months ago, often walking laps around the park. He was very sharp, quick witted and stubborn, even until the week he passed.

Howard was proud of his grandkids and often “adopted” others as his honorary grandkids. He often took in others as family and was welcomed into theirs, as well. We are very grateful for family and adopted family for allowing Howard to live as he wanted the last few years, at the lake. Without them it would not have been possible. Special thanks to Karen and Paul Cessna, Jennifer Radicke, Cherie and Buddy Miller, Rachel Garza, and Leanne Deaton, and numerous others.

He was proceeded in death by his twin sister, Alice Mae; his parents, Howard Carroll and Lessie Sivells; his wife, Mary; his wife, Norma; his nephew, Grover Sivells; his brother and sister-in- law, Charles and Virginia (Jinkey) Sivells; his daughter-in-law, Jackie Hallenbeck Sivells; his brother-in-law, Roy Harris; his niece, Dachelle Brown.

His is survived by his sons, Brad Sivells; Jim Sivells and wife, Jalyn Ernst Sivells; his grandsons, Tristan, Carson, and Dylan Sivells; sisters, Alice Harris and Doris and her husband, Joe. He is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews, and grand nieces and nephews.

A memorial service for Howard Dean Sivells will be held on March 30, 2023, 11 AM at Wild Ride Ministries, Harper, TX. A private inurnment will be held later.