Juliana Ulaine (Hill) Howard Obituary

Obituary: Juliana Ulaine Hill Howard
8/24/1940-4/2/2022
Act I: Juliana Howard took her final bow on April 2, 2022. She was born 8/24/1940 in Iowa City, Iowa, to Florine and Edward Jenness. She lived an adventurous life starting with a brief stint at the Annie Wittenmeyer Home in Davenport Iowa before being placed for adoption in April 1941 with her parents Charles and Elizabeth Hill. Her love of dance and the great outdoors started at a very young age. She spent many childhood summers at Yellowstone until she was old enough to go on her own independent camping adventures with Girl Scouts. She was a lifelong Girl Scout, attending Camp Manitowish in Wisconsin many summers; first as a camper, and later as a leader including as a guide scout for backpacking and canoe camping adventures into Canada as well.
She studied theatre and dance at both Goodman college and the University of Iowa. She combined those loves with her love for the outdoors into her bachelor’s degree in theatre and physical recreation.
Act II: In 1963 Juliana married her husband Larry Howard and while supporting him through law school, they also started their family. After he finished law school they went on their next great adventure of moving to California. They completed their family while living in the Los Angeles area, lived in San Francisco for a short while and finally settled in Merced where they raised their three children. During this time she was a fierce advocate for women’s rights and the environment working in vain to save the Stanislaus river from what became the New Melones dam.
Act III: After her children were grown, and her adoptive parents had passed away, Juliana began her next adventure of searching for her birth parents. She was elated to find and meet her birth mother, two of her birth siblings, and several extended relatives. She was grateful to all who allowed her into their lives and shared information with her.
Act IV: In her later years, she became a writer and published author of short stories. She enjoyed writing and sharing some of her more colorful life stories such as riding the rails as a child, and teaching football players ballet at the University of Iowa.
Act V: Juliana was an organ donor; and upon her death was able to donate skin to burn victims; especially poignant given the pharmacy fire and severe burns her father Charles Hill survived in the early 1960’s.s.
Final Act: Juliana is survived by her three children: Ulaine (Glenn) Hiles; Sabra (Jim) Abbate; Brent (Helen) Howard; her five granddaughters: Samantha (Brandon) Shaw; Sabrina Abbate, Lexi Abbate, Tori Abbate; Marissa Hiles; and an eagerly anticipated greatgranddaughter Shaw. She is also survived by two biological half-brothers, and many extended relatives from both her adoptive and birth families. She was preceded in death by her parents Charles and Elizabeth Hill, her birth parents, Florine and Edward Jenness, her ex-husband Larry Howard; and her biological half-sisters Reta, Betsy, and Joy. At her request, services will be private.