Howard Best

Howard G. Best, 86, of East Jordan, died at home surrounded by family on Wednesday, August 7, 2013.

He was born July 29, 1927 in Banks Township to Merion and Ethel (Smith) Best.

On December 12, 1951 he married Marjorie Thomas in Ironton. They lived in East Jordan.

Howard managed the family farm during WWII. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He later drove a milk route from Charlevoix to Cheboygan and had an apple and cherry orchard.

Howard was a supervisor at Gulf & Western in East Jordan for 25 years. In 1974 they moved to Ellsworth where he owned and operated Best Excavating for 15 years. They returned to East Jordan in 2000.

Howard was a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in East Jordan. He enjoyed building and remodeling his homes, wood carving, cooking, reading, traveling, and restoring antique autos.

Surviving are his wife Marjorie; son John Howard Best of Phoenix, AZ, Mary (Joe) Dixon of Boerne, TX and Charlevoix, and Jeanne Heath of East Jordan; grandchildren Eric and Amber Heath, Christy (David) Griffin and Candice (Best) Delvaux; great-grandchildren, Kaden and Vivyan Griffin, and Christofer Delvaux; brothers William (Erma) Best of Holmen, WI, Robert (Mary) Best of Land O' Lakes, FL, John (JoAnn) Best of Uba City, California. He was preceded in death by his grandson Kevin C. Morehead and brother Bernard (Fern) Best.

Friends may call at Hastings Funeral Home in Ellsworth on Friday, August 9, from 4 to 7 p.m.

The funeral service will be at 2 p.m. Saturday, August 10, at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in East Jordan with the Rev. Kenneth Lien and the Rev. Rap Posnik officiating. Burial will be in Ellsworth Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made to Good Samaritan Family Services in Ellsworth.