 Howerton retired from the entertainment industry in 1949, at the age of 35. By 1970 he had moved back to Oregon and was living with a niece in the small town of Dayton. His diminutive size meant that he didn 't pay welfare to the state as it was "never collected from" children "less than 0 ft 30 in (0.76 m) tall". His size, however, meant that he was forced to have tailor made clothing, which he additionally "demands it's good standard".
