Ann Patricia Powell

Woodburn – Ann passed from this world into the presence of our Lord Jesus on March 2, 2022 in her home in Woodburn, OR.

Ann is survived by her husband Lee, brothers Don and Arnie, daughter Bonnie, son Mike, stepdaughters Sally and Lisa and grandchildren Luke, Danny, and Lisa and step grandson Scott.

Ann in her final days was able to tell her story in her own words and this is a compilation of what she said:

I was born in The Dalles, Oregon on August 18, 1940. I was the oldest child born to James and Edna Powell. I started out living in a summer home that our grandfather owned on the upper end of Juniper Flat near Maupin. It was just after the depression. Dad was chasing jobs. We stayed briefly in a saw mill town, Kenzua near Fossil living in a tent with board sides. Other places we stayed were Oregon City, and Sisters. Dad found some job stability living on a large farm in Lower Juniper Flat near Maupin as dad worked on a ranch owned by Uncle Earl Crabtree. I attended Maupin Grade School. 4-H was a big part of school in Maupin. Animals were a big part of my life. I started out with a sheep and a horse in 4th grade. I entered two sheep, Lady and Hoppy in the Wasco County Fair. I won a sheep for my interview over the radio at the fair. After grade school our family moved to Elwood between Estacada and Colton, Lady had a lamb which I named Skeeter. I claimed the goats because I took over the milking. I acquired a bunch of banty chickens. I loved my outdoor chores. I was not made to do them. I chopped wood and cleaned out the chicken house. Dad traded my sheep for turkeys. I had to carry a 2 x 4 to feed the turkeys and I had to use it. My Saturday chore was to lime the outhouse. I earned my clothes money picking strawberries, beans, blackcaps, and prunes.

In high school my interest was working on the school newspaper. I was in charge of the cartoon page. I had a horrible bout of scarlet fever. The doctor said I almost died. I was named senior girl. Keep in mind there were only 3 girls in my class.

As an adult other hobbies I enjoyed were sewing as I made clothes for myself and family, knitting and crocheting. Cookbooks were another hobby. I worked all my life on a cookbook. I was a big vegetable gardener, working all day in my garden. I would can 100 jars of each: peaches, pears, cherries, apple sauce, and sauerkraut.

I married, moved to Idaho and had two children. In 1978 I moved back to Oregon. In my life I took various jobs: teaching kindergarten, school custodian, grocery clerk. Two jobs of which I enjoyed the most were working at the Cannon Beach Conference Center and later working at Holiday Retirement Corporation in Salem so I could take care of my aging parents. I then married a wonderful man and retired immediately afterwards. We moved around quite a bit and finally settled in Woodburn, Oregon.

ANN’S TESTIMONY

I always had a faith in the Lord. There was not a point in time as some people say. Mom and Dad were very instrumental in bringing me to the Lord. Aunt Alma was so concerned not only for us but for all my cousins. She tried to get to all of us kids.

We would stay at Aunt Alma’s house as the folks went grocery shopping. Aunt Alma was the Sunday school teacher. The verse I remember was “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.” I puzzled over that. I knew He died for my sins. One memory stands out. I was in the back seat of the car looking out the back window up at the sky on a sunny day with blue sky, fluffy clouds. I knew Jesus would come back and take the believers home. In Jr. High, I went through struggles. I had so many doubts. I told the Lord “hang on to me. I know you’re there.” That lasted a couple of years. That was an agonizing time in my life. My faith was very strong after that.  I came to understand faith was a personal trust in Him. Senior year in high school I wanted to be baptized as a testimony to those around me.

I didn’t know what to do after high school. Mom said, “I want one of my kids to go to Bible school. I don’t think any will.” As a rebellious teenager I turned around and said, “I’m going to Bible school.”

In the mail shortly a check came to me from granny for $600 to go to Bible school: the first semester’s tuition. The rest is history. I went to Multnomah School of the Bible and decided to be a school teacher. Circumstances prevented me from being a teacher, but when Bonnie was in kindergarten, the teacher asked me to please consider being a kindergarten teacher in her place in Meridian ID. I was thrilled. Being in a private school I was allowed to teach the Bible. Other parents in town sent children to my class because I taught the Bible, even the Mormons. My trust in the Lord got me through many ups and downs. The Lord sent me a wonderful man to finish my life with.
Donations can be made to OHSU/Doernbecher Foundation at the following web address: https://give.ohsufoundation.org/