Grady Howard
| Grady Howard | |
|---|---|
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Grady Howard September 15, 1911 Greer, South Carolina, USA |
| Died |
April 4, 1989 (aged 77) Spring Lake, North Carolina, USA |
| Spouse(s) | Elma Pat Howard (1917–2007) |
Grady Howard was the first mayor of Spring Lake, North Carolina.
Early life and career
Howard was born in Greer, South Carolina, the son of Narcissus "Cissy" and Davis Milford Howard, who were local agricultural farmers in South Carolina. Grady Howard was elected first Mayor of Spring Lake during the town’s incorporation in 1951.[1]
In April 1951, Howard was appointed mayor of Spring Lake by the General Assembly following the town's incorporation. He went on to win a special municipal election and continue to serve for 10 years. He served four more years in two later terms and as a result was nicknamed, “Mr. Spring Lake”.[1]
He served as the first president of the Greater Spring Lake Chamber of Commerce organized in 1962 and for almost 20 years on the Cumberland County Joint Planning Board. He was active in the Spring Lake Lion's Club and was a past commander of American Legion Post No. 230 in Spring Lake. He also served as chairman of the Spring Lake Democratic precinct.
Howard held membership in the North Carolina Beekeepers' Association, handling gallberry and gum honey in several farms in Cedar Creek and Harnett County, North Carolina.[2]
He was a member of Cape Fear Valley Hospital's original board of trustees and a member of Highland Baptist Church in Taylors, South Carolina although he attended the First Presbyterian Church in Spring Lake for more than 50 years.
The Grady Howard conference room was dedicated on June 24, 1979 at the new Spring Lake Town Hall.
Personal life
Howard was married to Elma Pat Walker (1917–2007) from 1941 until his death in 1989. He had one daughter: Dianne Howard Sheppard, who lives in South Carolina. He also had two granddaughters: Jami Sheppard McLaughlin, who lives in North Carolina, and Megan Sheppard. His granddaughter Jami Sheppard McLaughlin followed in his footsteps as she was elected Mayor Pro Tem in Spring Lake in 2003 and served two terms of elected office.
Notes
- 1 2 Fayetteville Observer April 5, 1989
- ↑ Fayetteville Observer, April 4, 1989,
Pate, Howard B. and Jami Sheppard.(2007) Spring Lake, North Carolina. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7385-1722-3.
http://www.spring-lake.org/