Howes

Ida Bess Howes, surrounded by her loving family, passed away peacefully at her home in Round Top on March 22, 2024, at the age of 91. She was born on May 19, 1932, in Dallas, the youngest of two daughters of Charles and LaNette Bennett.

Raised in Dallas, where her father owned a candy factory, Ida Bess graduated from Highland Park High School. She continued her education at Southern Methodist University (SMU) and received her bachelor’s degree in English in 1953. While attending SMU, she was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority and was the runner-up for Rotunda Beauty, selected by Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin. She married Charles L. Howes (Bud) in 1953.

Following graduation, Ida Bess and Bud moved to Monterrey, California during his military service. They later moved back to Texas where they spent many happy years in Houston raising four children, and Bud’s career in the oil and gas industry was launched. In 1968, the family moved to Perth Australia and two years later to Singapore, where Ida Bess and Bud called home for the next 20 years.

During her lifetime, Ida Bess traveled extensively to many different countries and had a deep appreciation for the diverse cultures she encountered. Her life travels took her far from Texas, cycling through Europe as a young college student, to the jungles of Borneo staying with indigenous former headhunter tribes, to the mountains of Pakistan and Tibet, to the deserts of Morocco and Egypt. She even christened a super oil tanker in Japan. During her time overseas, she developed a passion for Asian antiquities, volunteered on archeological digs and learned to speak both Mandarin and Malay.

She brought the same enthusiasm to her life back in Texas when they moved home in 1990 and settled on a ranch in Round Top, Texas. With a retirement plan of raising miniature donkeys and beef cattle, Ida Bess quickly developed the reputation as one of the top miniature donkey breeders and was affectionately known as the “Donkey Lady.” She served many years on the Winedale Council and was known as a true Texas historian who believed in conserving the land and honoring its heritage. She personally managed the restoration of five historic farm homes preserved on the family ranch.

Ida Bess often said she lived a storybook life and loved to share stories of her remarkable life adventures and the extraordinary people she met throughout her global travels, many remaining friends for a lifetime. With her good humor, intelligence, and wit, she had the wonderful ability to keep an audience engaged. After the death of her husband in 2003, Ida Bess continued to run the 758 Ranch and gained the reputation as a successful rancher. She was extremely proud of this accomplishment and devoted the remainder of her life to this work.

In her family life, Ida Bess was a matriarch in the truest sense, providing guidance and support to her children and grandchildren who affectionally called her “Ibu” the Indonesian word for mother. She instilled in them the values of education, hard work, and the importance of a sense of humor. She will be remembered for her grace, strength, character, devotion to family, friends, and community.

Ida Bess lived a full and vibrant life, leaving an indelible mark on those that knew her. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 49 years, Charles L. Howes, and her sister, Lindalyn Adams. She is survived by her children and their spouses: Daniel and Carol Howes, Mary and Tom Seay, Sally and David Cooper, and Thomas and Allison Howes. She was a proud grandmother to Taylor Seay, Lisa Howes, Sarah Howes, Bennett Cooper, and Amelia Cooper.

The family would like to express their thanks to her caregivers, especially Sunday Garner who provided such loving care and support to Ida Bess. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in honor of Ida Bess’ memory may be made to the following: Round Top Volunteer Fire Department, Round Top Festival Institute and Round Top Carmine Education Foundation.

A service to celebrate the life of Ida Bess will be held at Round Top.