Nancy Howell
Instrument:  Violin

Davenport Public Schools can be credited with starting Nancy on the violin. At age eight she started playing a three-quarter sized violin in summer school following the third grade. From fourth grade until graduation from high school, she played in the string sections for all school orchestras.

She was honored to be invited to play in the Youth Symphony, which was organized by Tri City Symphony (now called the Quad City Symphony); she was concert mistress for Davenport High School Orchestra; and during her senior year, she was Concert Mistress for All State Orchestra in Des Moines.

Not many people have the privilege of playing an instrument made by a relative who was a musical instrument craftsman. Nancy never met her great uncle, Mark Gast; but she cherishes the violin that was a gift to her by his wife, Nancy’s Great Aunt Lizzie. It is the one she uses for every concert.

She took lessons from Miss Mary Alice Williams of Rock Island until graduation from High School in 1953; and took lessons from a University of Iowa Music School Staff member during her freshman year there. But she soon found she did not have time to work any more music education into her schedule which also included the necessary 20 hours of education for a teaching certificate. Her major was Office Management/Business Education in the College of Commerce with minors in social studies and English.

She did participate in the University of Iowa Symphony, an extra-curricular activity all four years of college. The first two years she played Violin I, and the last two years she played Violin II since time became more limited for practice. (She also was employed as a part-time secretary the first two years for the College of Law and the second two years for the Chemistry Department.)

After college she was employed for one year by Harris Trust and Savings Bank, Chicago, Illinois, as a senior secretary. The following year Nancy started teaching at North Scott High School, Eldridge. She later taught at Central High School, Davenport (her alma mater), Louisa/Muscatine High School in Letts, and Columbus Community High School in Columbus Junction.

In July 1961 she was married to Everette Howell. Both are currently retired and live on a farm between Letts and Columbus Junction. They have two sons, Dale and his wife, Dana, and their three children: Dustin, Delaney, and Dalton (Columbus Junction); and Glen and his wife Sonya, and their three children Derrick, Jordan, and Evan (Waukon, Iowa).

Upon retirement she decided to dust off her violin case, pull out that precious violin, and see if she could still play after almost 50 years of silence. Much to her amazement, she can still perform the basics with practice time. She credits the Muscatine Symphony Orchestra Director, Brian Dollinger, with having the patience to allow her to be a part of the Symphony.

She receives great pleasure in participating in the Muscatine Symphony Orchestra, making the drive of 50 miles to Muscatine and back worthwhile.

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