Sarah Agnes Howren

Mrs. Sarah Agnes Howren, 87, peacefully passed away, Thursday, December 5, 2024, at her home in Jacksonville, FL with Sassy, her beloved dog, and family by her side. She was born September 13, 1937, in Adel, Cook County, Georgia to parents, Eva and Talley Bennett. Aggie grew-up on a farm where she picked tobacco in Adel, Cook County, Georgia. She started school at the age of eight because they thought she had a sickness. She attended Cook County High School where she graduated in 1956. She was the only one out of eight siblings to graduate high school. She moved to Jacksonville, Florida in 1956 and met her husband James Connell, where they married November 12, 1957, at Grand Park Baptist Church. She then moved to Miami, Florida for seven years and was of Baptist faith where she and her husband James both taught Sunday school. She then moved to New Rochelle, New York until 1966 due to her husband job, after several years they moved to Atlanta, Georgia. Once she was in Georgia, she had a home built on Lake Lanier in Cummings, Georgia making that her homestead. After 19 years of marriage, Agnes and James divorced March 1976. Agnes then moved back to Atlanta, Georgia, where she met her second husband, Garry Howren and were married August 2, 1986, in Atlanta, Georgia. They moved to Jacksonville, Florida in 1988 where they both reside for 32 years before Garry’s death on March 3, 2018.

She had a love for all animals. She once rescued a baby fawn that showed up in her back yard and nursed it to health. The fawn ended up being blind and was placed on a farm. She also loved her pot belly pig Prissy and a number of dogs during her lifetime. She was an avid bookkeeper and office manager for various companies for over 40 years. She also owned her own ice cream business “Howren’s Ice Cream” where she sold ice cream on her ice cream truck to many customers.  She was known as “Mrs. Aggie” and felt blessed to have so many children and customers that would only purchase from her truck and not from her competitors. She always considered them all her children since she had none of her own. She could not go to a store or a restaurant without one of her customers approaching her to just say “Hello” and give her a huge hug. She sold for over 22 years before she lost her eyesight in 2012, becoming legally blind at the age of 75. She had a love of reading her bible up until she became blind. Her favorite Bible verse is from Psalms 51 verse 10 “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”

She is preceded in death by her parents, Eva & Talley Bennett, and her husband Garry Howren Sr., her sisters Onnie Oeldrich (Clarence), Etaree Young (Robert), DeCarr Gibbs, her brothers, Carson Bennett (Patricia), David Bennett and Terrell Bennett (Karen). She is survived by her sister Robbie (John) Kerwan living in Kempner, Texas along with many nieces, nephews, and friends. Her smile and enthusiasm for life will be missed. She leaves behind many friends and relatives as she is now home with the Lord and can see again.

A Memorial Service will be held 1 PM Saturday December 21st in Evergreen Chapel 4535 Main St Jacksonville, FL 32206 (904) 353-3649. Family and friends may gather in the chapel for the Service at 12:30 PM.