Kennesaw United Methodist Church Howard Eugene Mashburn Willie Sims Mashburn       “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.  In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you.  I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.  And where I go you know, and the way you know.”  John 14:1-4                                                             Howard Eugene Mashburn was born at home on April 19, 1915, in Marietta, Georgia.  He had two older sisters, Ruby and Pearl, and one younger sister, Jewel.  Willie Sims Mashburn was born in Kennesaw, Georgia, on May 17, 1908.  She had one sister, Bertha. Howard and Willie met at a restaurant in Marietta where they both worked.  Howard was a member of the First United Methodist Church of Marietta, and Willie was a member of Kennesaw United Methodist Church.  After they married on June 18, 1944, Howard moved in with Willie and her family who lived on Cherokee Street.  Then he joined Kennesaw United Methodist Church where he worshipped and served with Willie. Howard was in the Army during WWII and went to Iwo Jima.  He later worked at the Marietta Journal and then the Atlanta Journal where he was a typesetter. Willie worked for Schillings Hardware as a bookkeeper.  She also worked at the 700 Club with Pat Robertson where she answered the phone and prayed with people who needed prayer.  She later worked at the General. Howard and Willie made lots of improvements to the house on Cherokee as they both planned to gift the house and property to Kennesaw United Methodist Church after they passed. Willie preceded Howard by 10 years as she passed away on December 12, 1994.  Howard wisely invested their savings and was very frugal with money as he wanted to leave as much as he could to the church in accordance with their wishes. Howard passed away on March 21, 2004, and on April 1, 2004, the church was able to pay off its loan using  $465,000 from the sale of Willie and Howard’s property on Cherokee Street.  Howard also designated Kennesaw UMC as one of his quarterly beneficiaries, and the church has received over $8400 so far. Howard and Willie were wonderful Christians, and we all miss them.