David suddenly died in 1939. After his death, Howells became first counselor to Primary General President May Green Hinckley in 1940 and moved back to Utah to fulfill this responsibility. Her first assignment as a counselor was to work as editor on "The Children's Friend", a magazine for children. It became an instrument to teach children about church principles, while also display the artistic talents and developments of the Primary. Howells was responsible for adding new columns to the magazine, including "Be Kind to Animals." She made the magazine more readable for children, including coloring pages and cut outs, as well as printing the pages on heavier paper to make it more durable.