Howard and his wife Sharon have 4 children, Howard III, Vince, Rob, and Sigrid. The Traul family has resided in Bellefontaine since the early 1890’s and Howard’s father began practicing law in Bellefontaine in 1927 and served as the first elected Municipal Court Judge, in addition to his busy private practice. Sharon is a teacher and is the chair of the Business Education Department at Bellefontaine High School.

Everyone seems to know Howard. If not, he probably knows you. Howard is TDH’s resident historian and genealogist and has an amazing ability to place names and faces. He truly cares about the history of our community and its families. Howard served as the Law Director for the City of Bellefontaine for thirty-five years, retiring in 2015.  Howard practices in the areas of estate planning, trusts, and probate; real estate; family law; municipal law and personal injury.