Funeral set today for party chief Howe

Monday, July 22, 2002 | 9:13 a.m.

SUN CAPITAL BUREAU

CARSON CITY -- A funeral was scheduled today in Las Vegas for Jess Howe, state chairman of the Independent American Party.

Howe died Thursday after a two-week illness. He was 64.

At the time of his death, he was a candidate for the office of Clark County assessor. In the past he ran unsuccessfully for Congress, state Senate and Assembly.

MaryAnn Polish, vice chairwoman of the party, said this has been a difficult year for the Independent Americans, the third-largest party in the state, with 0.02 percent of the voters registered.

Besides Howe the party has lost its founder Dan Hansen, who was killed in a traffic accident; and former Washoe County Chairman Francis Gillings and Della MacArthur, who served for many years as the rural representative on the executive committee, who both died this year.

Former state chairman Joel Hansen said Howe's goal was to "help people of Nevada to have an honest government that was interested in the well being of its citizens."

Howe is survived by his wife Linda; sons Jeff Jr. and Brett, both of Las Vegas, and Drew of Austin, Texas; and daughters Polly McKinley of Manteca, Calif., and Rachel Kyriss of Hemet, Calif.

Services were to be held at 2 p.m. at Palm Mortuary at Jones and Oakey boulevards.