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Senior bowls over community with time and talent
It would be impressive enough that Louise Howington, at age 96, bowls every Monday .
But the fact that she heads up the whole league, made up of a members of a senior group
called the Keenagers really strikes everyone as even more quite remarkable.
Howington started bowling in retirement with her husband, who had bowled nearly all his
life. After he passed away in 1995 she continued on her own and got even more involved. She
keeps track of members' schedules, records and handicaps, and she types up the league's
stats and information on her old manual typewriter at home. And being the only charter member
of this Snellville league which began in 1980 makes her even more familiar with everyone's
ability and availability.
" We change teams every 26 weeks. I make them up by their averages so everyone
starts off at the same level," Howington said. "And I never schedule a husband and wife to be
on the same team because if one can't be here, then it usually means they both can't make it."
Having worked for First National Bank for 43 years, and for much of that time directly
assisting the Vice Chairman of the Board, playing with numbers is right down her alley.
Even with all this activity, both physical and mental, Howington still has energy to spare.
"I just recently stopped driving, but I still attend Sunday School and church service every
week at Loganville Baptist Church," she said, noting that up until just a few years ago she had
been teaching Sunday School herself.
I started teaching when I was twelve at Grant Park Baptist Church," she said. "The areas
were divided off by curtains and the supervisor walked around to make sure we were all doing
out job."
She also bowls people over with her handiwork by making placemats and Christmas
items for her church to sell at their annual festivals.
"I sold about $850 worth this past year and the year before. I made $1250 the first year I
did it," she said.
Last year Howington received the Volunteer of the Year Award from Gwinnett County
Parks and Recreation for her contributions to the Keenagers.
"She's been our chaplain for ten years," Keenagers President Joanne Fuller
said. "She's a real inspiration to us."
"She's so wonderful to be around. A Southern princess is what we call her," team
member Charlie Petrie said.
Howington takes it all in stride.
"I don't worry about whether or not I'm a good bowler. It's all about fun and fellowship for
me. I have a lot of friends and a lot of fun. Wherever I go and whatever I do, if it isn't fun, then I
won't do it."
Can I take that to mean that whatever she does has to strike her fancy?
Susan Larson is a writer who lives in Lilburn. E-mail her at susanlarson79@gmail.com
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