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, MO. 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 LESANVILLE.
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 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 UNION GAS, 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 AND KEITH BURCHETT; SISTERS-IN-LAWS, INEZ FERBER, WINNONA BURCHETT AND BONNIE POWERS AND 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, IOWA; STEPGRANDCHILDREN, MELSSA (CAMERON) SMITH OF LOVELAND, CO. AND KIMBERLY WILLIAMS AND AMANDA TRAUSCH OF URBANDALE, IOWA; SISTER, CLEOLA GEIST OF MOUNT AYR, IOWA; SISTERS-IN-LAW , BETTY WILSON OF BROKEN ARROW, OK. AND JOAN HARRIS OF HOUSTON, TEXAS AND AN AUNT LAVON THOMAS OF MOUNT AYR.
SHE WILL ALSO BE MISSED BY NUMEROUS NIECES, NEPHEWS, OTHER RELATIVES AND MANY MANY FRIENDS.
SERVICES WERE HELD AT WILSON WATSON & ARMSTRONG FUNERAL HOME IN MOUNT AYR ON WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2008 AT 11 A.M. WITH REV. TERRY ROBERTS CONDUCTING THE SERVICE. MUSICIANS WERE SANDY CAMPBELL AND RICHARD JACKSON.
CASKET BEARERS WERE WILLIAM BURCHETT, DUANE BURCHETT, CULLEN GEIST, CRAE GEIST, RANDY SACKETT, LARRY SACKETT, BRETT POWERS AND RON POWERS.
HONORARY PALLBEARERS–WHEN WE SAT DOWN TO LIST EIGHT OR TEN HONORARY PEOPLE, WE FOUND THIS TASK IMPOSSIBLE. BETTY HONORED AND RESPECTED EVERYONE SHE KNEW, SO AS A FRIEND JUST REMEMBER SHE TREASURED YOU.
BETTY WAS LAID TO REST IN THE MAPLE ROW CEMETERY IN KELLERTON.
