Louise H. Powell
1925 – 2018

On December 12, 2018, Louise Harper Powell passed away at Hospice Care of the Piedmont in Greenwood, South Carolina. She was 93 years old. She lived the last several years of her life at the Wesley Commons retirement community in Greenwood, where she had many friends.

Louise Powell was born December 11, 1925 in Bessemer, Alabama to Ernest Whitman Harper, Sr. and Bertha Michener Harper, a Pennsylvania Dutch Quaker.

She met her husband, Fred B. Powell, at a church sponsored gathering given for the soldiers stationed at the Army Air Corp's Van de Graaff Airfield in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. They were engaged during World War II and married on December 21, 1946 while they were students at the University of Alabama. After a life-long career as a mechanical engineer, Fred Powell predeceased her on March 30, 1996 at the age of 71.

Mrs. Powell's most notable accomplishment was the raising of four daughters. In addition to this honorable task, she worked as a kindergarten teacher's aide at Leslie Elementary Public School, a teacher for the Greenwood Literacy Council, and a tutor for the Saturday Morning Reading School, where she was on the forefront of specialized teaching for children with dyslexia. She also taught children's Sunday School classes and was a reading tutor for adult students for over ten years.

Outside of teaching, she led three Girl Scout troops and volunteered at the United Ministries, where she was named "Volunteer of the Year" on two occasions. She was a volunteer at the Wise Penny Thrift Store, a secretary at the Episcopal Church of the Resurrection, and an administrative employee with S.C.Cotton and Tri-Co Carriers.

She is survived by her four daughters, Judith Powell, Sandy (Joe) Parks, and Melissa Michener of Raleigh, North Carolina and Lydia (Wade) Wingard of Columbia, South Carolina. She leaves behind three grandchildren: Sam Parks of Raleigh, Katie Wingard of Charleston, South Carolina, and Daniel Wingard of Columbia.

Her older brother, Ernest Harper, Jr. of Huntsville, Alabama predeceased her earlier this year. Surviving are younger brother Charles Harper, of Annapolis, Maryland and older sister Lydia Gnutti, of Greenwood. Both she and her sister lived at Wesley Commons for twenty years.

Upon moving to Greenwood in March of 1965, the family joined Main Street United Methodist Church where Mrs. Powell and her husband were members of "The Hut" Sunday school class. She remained a faithful member of the church for the rest of her life.

The family owes a debt of gratitude to Cindy Gary, who is the Director of Resident Services at Wesley Commons. We deeply appreciate your extraordinary care, commitment, and kindness. We have enjoyed having you as our mother's unofficial fifth daughter.

We also wish to thank our mother's other friends and caregivers at Wesley Commons and Hospice Care of the Piedmont. Mrs. Powell lived the last two months of her life at Hospice and we greatly appreciate the staff's professional and benevolent care. Furthermore, we want to thank Cecilia and Cotton for your loyal visits; you brightened her days. Though we cannot mention everyone here, know that we believe our mother was blessed with the devotion of her friends and caregivers.

The entire family will miss our loving mother, grandmother, and sister. Her gentle faith made her a strong and compassionate woman.

The family will be receiving visitors at Wesley Commons at 1110 Marshall Road in Greenwood on Thursday, December 20 from 10:30-11:00. Immediately following, a memorial service will be held at Wesley Commons at 11:00. Interment will be a private event for the family at Greenwood Memorial Gardens. In lieu of flowers, please send a memorial donation to your favorite charity.