Born in
Oak Ridge, Missouri, Howard graduated from
Central High School in
Cape Girardeau, Missouri and from
Southeast Missouri State University with a bachelor's degree in agriculture and biology. He has worked in the
agribusiness and horse breeding fields, served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, and also served 16 years in the Missouri National Guard. His wife Shirla Jean Rathjen Howard from
Gouldbusk, Texas, died June 17, 2015, at the Howards' hometown of
Dexter, Missouri. They had been married for over 40 years. ==References==