Betty Ann (BURCHETT) POWERS

BURCHETT, POWERS, REYNOLDS, BRYANT, MAIN, FERBER, GEIST, TRAUSCH, SMITH, WILLIAMS, WILSON, HARRIS, THOMAS

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 1/5/2009 at 21:40:38

OBITUARY - BETTY ANN (BURCHETT) POWERS

Betty Ann POWERS, 86, of Kellerton, Iowa, passed away on February 22, 2008, at the Clearview Nursing Home in Mount Ayr, Iowa.

Betty was born on September 25, 1921 to Gladys (REYNOLDS) BURCHETT and Hugh BURCHETT in Riley Township. She attended all of her elementary years at the Ringgold County School in Ringgold, Iowa. The first two years of her high school days were in Hatfield, Missouri. She then transferred to Mount Ayr High School for her junior and senior years because she wanted to play basketball. While attending school in Mount Ayr, she worked at the Sandwich Shop for Faye BRYANT and enjoyed the friendship of many people she met there. She graduated in 1939 with a normal training certificate. Her teaching career began shortly after graduation. She finished the 1940 school term for Louise MAIN at Poe #7. Then for the next 12 years she taught at several rural schools in Ringgold County, including Poe# 6, Woodland, and Leasonville.

In 1947 she was united in marriage to Darrell V. POWERS of Kellerton, Iowa. She continued teaching until 1952 when they were blessed with their daughter Deanna. The rest of their married life was spent in Kellerton, except for a few years living in Lamoni. Betty worked as a clerk at the Varsity Drug store in Lamoni and made many lasting friendships. Once they moved back to Kellerton, Betty began working for the Grand Valley school district. She worked there until she became a bookkeeper for Uniongas in Kellerton. After retiring from Uniongas, she and Darrell enjoyed attending auctions, going to coffee with friends, and tending to her flower garden. She especially liked writing poems for her family and friends on special occasions.

Preceding her in death were her parents, Hugh and Gladys BURCHETT; husband, Darrell; brothers, Bill BURCHETT and Keith BURCHETT; sisters-in-law, Inez FERBER, Winnona BURCHETT, and Bonnie POWERS; brothers-in-law, Lefty GEIST, Loren POWERS, Bud POWERS, and Ralph POWERS.

Left to cherish her memory are a daughter, Deanna (Tim) TRAUSCH of Urbandale; step-grandchildren, Melissa (Cameron) SMITH of Loveland, CO, Kimberly WILLIAMS and Amanda TRAUSCH of Urbandale; sister, Cleola GEIST of Mount Ayr; sisters-in-law, Betty WILSON of Broken Arrow, OK and Joan HARRIS of Houston, TX; aunt, Lavon THOMAS of Mount Ayr. She will also be missed by numerous nieces, nephews, other relatives, and many, many friends.

Services were held Wednesday, February 27, 2008 at 11:00 p.m., Wilson-Watson & Armstrong Funeral Home, Mount Ayr, Iowa.

NOTE: Many of us who attended Grand Valley Community School have fond memories of Betty. She always had a quick warm smile for us even though she often was elbow-deep in producing thousands upon thousands of mineograph pages for our classrooms.

Transcription and note by Sharon R. Becker, January of 2009