Nancy Edith Stelle Ostrowski Howell, of Belle Valley, went to meet with her Savior on Wednesday December 20, 2017 after a two-year battle with lung cancer. Born January 20, 1946, daughter of the late Kenneth and Winona Klein Stelle, and granddaughter of the late George and Ina Stelle, and Harry and Edith Klein for whom Klein Elementary School was named.

She graduated from Harbor Creek High School in 1967, the same year she was named Erie-Crawford County Dairy Princess, representing the farming and milk industry.

She went to work for GTE a few months later, starting out as a file clerk, and worked there for almost 30 years, retiring at a level 5 out of 8 in management, as a Special Services Circuit Coordinator Supervisor, maintaining three databases.

In 1987, her husband, Bill, she, and daughter Kim, started B'N'K Stables, which she still owns. They raised, showed, and sold Arabian horses. She also made and sold native costumes. She continued showing for 10 years after the death of her husband, with her driving a 27ft. motor home, pulling a 21 ft. three-horse trailer as far as Hamburg, Batavia, Little Valley, and Syracuse, NY, West Springfield, MA, Lexington, VA, Canada, Columbus, OH, and Louisville, Kentucky where she ended her career in 2002 when her half-Arabian mare, Jamaica Bey++/, attained a National Top-Ten in the Native Costume Class. She figured it was a good time to quit because she was never going to do better than that.

Nancy loved working in her flower beds and spent the good weather in the summer working in her yard and pastures. She also enjoyed bowling, and at one time bowled twice a week, and three times every other week. She also enjoyed sewing, knitting, crocheting, and cross stitch. Plus, working jigsaw puzzles, and cryptograms, Sudoku, jumble words, etc. She was a lifetime member of the Sunflower Club.

She was preceded in death by two husbands, Frank Ostrowski and Bill Howell. She is survived by her daughter, Kimberly Ostrowski Durkin Marnen, of Dunnellin, FL; her son, Scott Howell (Cori) of Bradenton, FL.; sister Patricia Cochran of Cool Spring, PA; and brothers, Ronald Stelle (Phyllis), of Zephyrhills, FL, and Rev. Steve Stelle (Brenda) of New Castle, PA; sister-in-law, Patricia Ostrowski of Erie; brothers-in -law, Jack Howell (Linda) of Pennington, NJ, and Dick Howell (Barb) of Chaska, MI; sister-in-law, Peggy Howell of Erie; and too many nieces and nephews to count. Most important is the love and support of her life, Gary Johnston.

Friends may call at the Russell C. Schmidt & Son Funeral Home Inc., 5000 Wattsburg Rd., on Friday from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. and are invited to services there on Saturday morning at 10:00 a.m.. Burial will follow in Wintergreen Gorge Cemetery.

Memorial contributions can be made to the Belle Valley Fire Department, 1514 Norcross Road, Erie, 16510 or the ANNA Shelter, 1555 E. 10th St., Erie, 16511.

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