N P Howard

                N P Howard died at the Paintsville Hospital at 10 o'clock Saturday night, Oct 9th. It leaves in his immediate family a wife phoebe, who is the daughter of B W Higgins, of Salyersville and two children, Gladys and Grace Mae. He was 51 years old at last birthday which was April 6, 1926.

                Mr. Howard was a prominent man and a good citizen, being active and alert in business and one of the best informed men in Eastern Kentucky. He was largely instrumental in the development of the coal and oil and was one of the pioneer oilmen of this section.

                In Mr. Howard's death the community and all of eastern Ky loses a man of rare abilities and great vision who had an unfaltering belief in the future greatness of this region and in especially in its great industrial future.

                The immediate cause of Mr. Howard's death was a long standing and chronic disease of the liver and stomach although Mr. Howard made a long and game fight, his death has been expected by his intimate friends for several months. The loss of such men is a serious blow and especially when it happens in the prime of active live and at a time when he was just getting ready to accomplish plans for the further development of the oil resources of Johnson and Magoffin Counties. These projects were very dear to his heart as he was a native son of Magoffin Co, although he had made his home for several years previous at Lexington.

                All who knew Mr. Howard intimately realized his abilities and manly principles and the gentleness of his nature and disposition, and his many friends miss him and regress his passing.

                Mr. Howard was buried at Salyersville and his prominence a popularity was attested to by the fact that it was one of the greatest funerals every held in that place. The town was full of people and when the body was removed to the Missionary Baptist Church the crowd overflowed the church and all the grounds surrounding. The funeral sermon was preached by Rev Lewis Caudill. The services and burial in general was conducted by the Masons of which order Mr. Howard was an honored member of long standing.

October 14, 1926