Above | It wasn’t easy leaving their house in Haymount, but the Howies have made the Highlands their home.
and several rooms feature oil paintings by a family friend, the late Nina D. Johnston. While Marshall prefers to stay cool
indoors in the converted third bedroom which serves as his den, Betty enjoys basking on the veranda off the formal living room where she tends to her potted plants and flowers. Downsizing did not mean the Howies
had to forgo storage space either. Their master bedroom walk-in closet serves as Betty’s dressing room. Betty jokes that Marshall has more clothes, but it’s
clear that Betty fancies shoes. A quilt stand next to the poster-style bed holds family heirloom quilts, including Betty’s baby quilt made by her grandmother. Betty modestly claims that her family’s sewing abilities were lost on her yet she handcrafts intricate angels, each with a unique story. Pieced together from bits of heirloom wedding gowns, antique tablecloths and intricate cloth napkins, the angels are adorned with beads, antique laces and other baubles. For years, Betty has made these one-
of-a-kind creations for friends, members of her church and also as birthday gifts for the ladies at the Carolina Highlands. Many years from now, it will be a way to remember these pillars of the community. “I cannot think of one without thinking
of the other, they are an amazing team,” says the Rev. Ernie Johnson, senior pastor of Highland Presbyterian. “Betty loves developing musical venues that both entertain and inspire, and they both give 100 percent and are able to pull off quite a few projects through their hard work.”CV
26 | June/July • 2010
