Chuck and Heidi Howlett named 2025 Swedish Days parade marshals

The Geneva Chamber of Commerce recently named the 2024 Wood Community Service Award recipients as parade marshal for the Swedish Days parade on Sunday, June 22. Chuck and Heidi Howlett will be the 2025 parade marshals.

Residents of Geneva for nearly 30 years, the couple give selflessly to their community in many ways.

Originally both from Iowa, Chuck and Heidi lived all over the country until they declared Geneva home. Through the United Methodist Church, Geneva Community High School, Geneva History Museum, or the Geneva Chamber of Commerce, Chuck and Heidi embody community spirit.

As the marshals for the Swedish Days Parade for many years, the Howletts have volunteered their time to organize the parade and keep it all moving day of. Their tag line, “Turning Chaos into a Single Line,” speaks well to what the job entails.

At the United Methodist Church of Geneva, they have served in big and small ways. From serving coffee, to organizing the church’s 185th year celebration which included researching historical documents, to heading church council.

Perhaps their biggest impact in town is the restoration and resetting of over 500 headstones in Geneva's oldest cemetery, the West Side Cemetery.

Recognizing the need to restore the cemetery to honor our early settlers, the Howletts worked tirelessly to piece together the puzzle pieces that were the headstones.

“They should be remembered for their dedication to the preservation of the history of our town and willingness to jump in and make a difference. Their work is selfless,” said Terry Emma, executive director of the Geneva History Museum. “They do not do things in the public eye, but work behind the scenes without much recognition.”

Mentioned time and again is the couple’s selfless acts of service for the Geneva community. Chuck and Heidi have two children and three grandchildren.

The Howletts were honored as the Wood Community Service Award recipients at the Geneva Chamber of Commerce’s annual dinner last November. The award, which marked its 40th year last fall, is named in honor of Bill and Elise Wood, and Nell and Burton Wood — four individuals who all contributed to the growth and health of the city of Geneva.

The parade, which steps off at 1 p.m. Sunday, is the capstone for the 75th annual Swedish Days, a five-day festival beginning June 18. For information, visit genevachamber.com/events/swedish-days.