Rachell C. Powers 1928-2017
POWERS, BROER, RIEKS, OSTERLING, GEORGE, LINDSEY
Posted By: Volunteer Rich Lowe
Date: 4/5/2018 at 10:23:22
Rachell C. Powers, age. 89, of Pocahontas, passed away on December 25, 2017, at the Humboldt Care Center North in Humboldt, IA.
Memorial services were held January 7, 2018, at Hope United Methodist Church in Pocahontas, IA. Interment was in Summit Hill Cemetery in Pochontas.
Rachell “Orpah” Caroline Broer was born on a farm at New Providence, IA, on October 4, 1928. She was the daughter of Will and Martha (Rieks) Broer. She was the fourth of six children and was confirmed in the Evangelical and Reformed Church in Hubbard, IA. She sang in the choir as a youth and continued to do so at various churches throughout her life. During her high school years at New Providence, she participated in music (vocal, trio and clarinet), plays and basketball. In her senior year in 1946, the New Providence team made it to the Girls State basketball finals, finishing as runner-up. Her play earned her All-State second team and United Press first team honors.
Rachell attended Elmhurst College in Illinois before finishing at the University of Northern Iowa, where she graduated with a bachelor of arts degree with a major in education and minors in English, social studies and science. Following graduation, on June 4, 1950, she was united in marriage to Melvin Powers of Maxwell, IA, a teacher at New Providence. Her teaching career spanned more than 30 years. These included early positions as an elementary school teacher at New Providence and Leon, followed by sixth grade and junior high positions at Fox Valley at Cantril and Milton during the years she and her family lived in Keosauqua, IA.
In the mid-70s, they moved to Pocahontas where she finished her career as a junior high and high school instructor in English, speech and drama at Havelock. After retirement, Rachell wrote a poetry book called, “Kaleidoscope of Poetry,” which was published in 1988.
Rachell's community activities included Sunday school teacher, United Methodist Women, church choir, worship leader of Charity Circle, participation in musicals and community chorus, Garden Club and Pocahontas Community Hospital Auxiliary. Rachell enjoyed reading, watching sports (particularly basketball), playing piano, singing, sewing garments, needle work, writing, biking and baking.
Survivors include her husband Melvin of Pocahontas; children, Douglas (Rebecca) of Minnetonka, MN, Scarlett (James) Osterling of Altadena, CA, and Susan (David) George of St. Charles, IL; six grandchildren, Cassandra and Derek Powers, Natalie and Matthew Osterling, and Lauren and Samuel George; brother, Martin (Jeanette) Broer of Iowa Falls, and sister, Margaret Lindsey of Altoona.
Powers Funeral Home in Pocahontas, IA, assisted the family with arrangements.
Source: Van Buren County Register, Keosauqua, IA; 11 Jan 2018
Van Buren Obituaries maintained by Rich Lowe.
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