Howe, Helen (1927-2013) | Rare Book & Manuscript Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Helen Whitlock was born on January 26, 1927 in Mount Vernon, IL, the daughter of Bess J. Courtaway (1902-1979) and Robert B. Whitlock (1901-1977). In 1950, Whitlock married Sylvanus “Tinks” Howe (1922-2006), a childhood friend and classmate of Illinois writer James Jones (1921-1977). The couple shared two children.

Howe earned two degrees from Eastern Illinois University, a BA in Linguistics and American Literature in 1974 and an MA in English in 1975. She went on to teach American literature, composition, and creative writing at Lincoln Trail College. In 1992, Howe co-founded the James Jones Literary Society, an organization to with aims to “further appreciation for Jones’s writings and his other accomplishments that are significant to the study and appreciation of 20th Century literature.” She also served as a member of the James Jones Foundation.

Howe died on October 1, 2013, in Mount Laurel, NJ. She is buried in Robinson New Cemetery in Robinson, IL.

Find a Grave. "Helen Louisa Whitlock Howe." Accessed June 29, 2026. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/176458568/helen-louisa-howe.

Illinois Center for the Book. "Helen Howe." Illinois Authors. Accessed June 29, 2026. https://www.illinoisauthors.org/php/getSpecificAuthor.php?uid=7627.

The James Jones Literary Society. "James Jones Literary Society." Accessed June 29, 2026. https://jamesjonesliterarysociety.org/.