Howard Charles Barlow

Howard’s service will be livestreamed below at 11:00 am, Friday, July 25, 2025

Howard Charles Barlow was born on March 12, 1936, in Badger, SD to Andrew and Stella (Jordet) Barlow. He graduated from high school in Lake Preston, SD in 1954 and attended Huron College. Howard married Dorothy Holm at Lake Preston Lutheran Church on November 19, 1955. He worked as a “printer’s devil” at the Lake Preston Times while going to school. Later he worked for commercial printers in Benson, MN, and Sioux Falls, SD. In Sioux Falls, Howard began selling life insurance for Lutheran Mutual Life Insurance Company. In 1965, Howard, Dorothy and their children moved to Aurora, CO and he worked for the Catholic Newspaper System and Lutheran Mutual Insurance. He was transferred to Fargo and eventually began working in printing sales for Pierce Company where he remained for eight years. Howard and partners opened Fine Print, Inc. in 1978 and sold the company in 1992. Among his work for Lutheran Social Service of North Dakota, Howard managed the successful campaign for a new building for Great Plains Food Bank. Howard “retired” in 2000, but shortly thereafter began working with Bremer Bank as a Nonprofit Resource Specialist, helping to strengthen non-profit organizations and community projects. He found great satisfaction working on issues of housing, homelessness, and community development throughout the Fargo/Moorhead area for more than ten years. He was awarded the ND Champion of Affordable Housing award in 2008 and the Fargo Human Relations Award in 2012. He was part of the Mayor’s Commission that developed the Fargo Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness in the community. A great deal of Howard’s time and energy in his later years was dedicated to issues of peace and justice. He was instrumental in starting the Lutheran Peace Fellowship in Fargo-Moorhead and worked for the creation of a cabinet level Department of Peace in the United States Government. Always an active member of the church, he sang in church choirs all his life. Vocal music was one of his great joys and he sang often. His church involvement at Peace Lutheran in Fargo included singing in the choir and men’s quartet, cooking at Churches United for the Homeless, organizing the Cabaret, and serving as a council member, Council President, Foundation Board member, Sunday School teacher, and Peace and Justice Committee member. Howard later became a member of Olivet Lutheran in Fargo where he especially enjoyed the text study group and Friday Fellowship. He was Treasurer of the F/M Audubon Chapter and Treasurer of the RRV Estate Planning Council. As part of the Fargo Optimist Club over the years, he served as its President, was the Distinguished Lt Governor of the MN/ND/Manitoba District Optimist Organization International, and completed terms as District Secretary and District Governor. Howard and Dorothy were able to travel extensively as representatives of this organization. Howard was a board member and chair of the Cass County Historical Society for seven years. He served on the board of Prairie Public Broadcasting for seven years and in all offices.

Howard and Dorothy were married just two weeks shy of their 69th anniversary at the time of her death. Their marriage was a model of teamwork, commitment, and love. They were enthusiastically involved in the lives and activities of their children and grandchildren. Together they provided a home that was solid, safe, and decorated with love. In his spare time, Howard delighted in traveling, golfing, reading, bird watching, home repair, and pheasant hunting.

Howard is survived by his children: Nancy (Tom) Farnham, Enderlin, ND; Laurie Barlow, Enderlin, ND; and David (Anne) Barlow, Maple Grove, MN; grandchildren: Zachary Farnham, Fargo, ND; Samuel (Rachel) Farnham, Barnesville, MN; Justin (Janie) Barlow, Burnsville, MN; and Molly (Hayden) Anderson, St. Paul, MN; great-grandchildren: Elizabeth-Jo Farnham, Elijah Barlow, Zenith Barlow, Makenzi Barlow, Leighton Anderson, and Oliver Anderson; and sisters-in-law Bunny (Gerald) White and Virginia Barlow. He was preceded in death by his wife Dorothy, his parents, and siblings Florence Hronski, Ruby Bishop, Gordon Barlow, Stanley Barlow, Mary Pirlet, and Arden Barlow.