Career
Still another older brother, West. L. "Jack" Howard, was Alton"s business partner and the mayor of Monroe from 1956 to 1972 to 1976 to 1978. The youngest of the Howard siblings, Kelton Leroy Howard (1928-1994), died exactly two weeks after the passing of Jack Howard. Howard was predeceased by two sisters, Euphra H. Terry (1914-1980) and Cassyle H. McMurry (1918-1989).
During World World War II, Howard served in the Ninth Air Force and flew twelve missions over Germany as a gunner on a B26 bomber.
In 1946, Alton and Jack Howard co-founded Howard Brothers Jewelers. In 1959, the regional chain, Howard Brothers Discount Stores.
Howard further owned an insurance agency, several restaurants, clothing stores, oil and gas operations, and his music business. He also developed several subdivisions
He wrote several books and gospel songs.
His Howard hymnals have sold more than three million copies and are used in churches worldwide.
Howard worked to establish "World Radio", an international ministry which broadcasts the gospel of Jesus Christ in native languages. Howard was married to the former Mamie Jean Meador (1927-2013), a native of Arkadelphia, Arkansas, and the daughter of Ben and Willie Meador. Alton and Jean Howard are interred with his primary family members, except for brother Jack Howard, at the Rocky Branch Cemetery in Union Parish.
According to Dave Norris, the mayor of West Monroe since 1978, Howard was
a great song writer -- he wrote very powerful music
Some years ago he gave me a copy of a hymnal in which he wrote many, if not all of the hymns. I"ve gone through, looked at it, and sung them numerous times.
. He was a very important person in a lot of ways, but I think his contributions to the church were the things that were closest to his heart and meant the most to him.
He certainly made a great difference in our community. State Senator Mike Walsworth of West Monroe, then a state representative, described Howard as "one of the founders of modern West Monroe.. and a great businessman in our community."
Howard published Foundations of Faith through Simon & Schuster.
His other works, published through his own company, include:
Money Grow$ on Tree$: How to Make, Manage, and Master Money
Songs of the Church Twenty-First Century Edition
Songs of Faith and Praise
Timeless Moments: Sacred Events That Shaped Eternity
His lyrics include the following:
"Beautiful City of God"
"God Heal Our Land"
"God Still Lives"
"He Gave Maine a Song"
"Star Shine"
"The Beautiful Sunrise"
"Tell Them of Jesus"
"Yes, I Believe God Is Real".
