Curtis Ray Powell's Obituary
Curtis Ray Powell, age 95, of Fayetteville, Arkansas, died March 15, 2022, in Fayetteville. He was born August 21, 1926, in Plumerville, Arkansas to David Clayton Powell and Carrie Ethel Lamb Powell.
Faithful, caring, and devout are fitting adjectives to describe Curtis Powell and his dedication to Christianity and living a life guided by strong principals and an unwavering moral compass.
Growing up on a farm in Southwest Oklahoma, hard work was all Curtis knew. It's no surprise that commitment became his defining characteristic.
When his family left the dust bowl region of Oklahoma in 1933, he rode in the back of a cattle truck for 600 miles to a farm in Baxter County, Arkansas, where his family would raise cattle, sheep, and hogs alongside cotton, corn, and hay.
In the early depression years, there was no time for play before or after school. In fact, Curtis feels lucky to have continued his education at all. While most children left school after 8th grade, Curtis and his siblings were the only family in the area who continued through high school. His family paid $5 a month, per child, to ride the school bus to Cotter High School each day. After 3 ½ years, Curtis graduated as class valedictorian.
He then attended State Teacher's College, in Conway for a year and half before enlisting in the United States Army in 1945.
During basic training he was one of only two servicemen chosen for Officer's Candidate School (OCS), where he earned a commission as 2nd Lieutenant. Of the 60 graduates in OCS, 59 were sent to Japan, but Curtis was sent to Europe. While there, he served as a liaison translating coded messages and carrying them from Austria to Germany, where they'd eventually land on the desk of General Eisenhower.
After the war, he returned to Arkansas to finish his college degree at the U of A where he also earned his Master's degree in Agriculture. In 1949, he married Gladys Tallent, in what would turn out to be a 66-year union. Together they had 5 children, 13 grandchildren, and 35 great grandchildren.
Curtis taught high school for many years in Bradford, Paragould, Gravette, and Mena, Arkansas. He also served as Manufacturing Superintendent at Emerson Electric.
Curtis and Gladys raised their 5 children in Mena, where he and Gladys retired from teaching, and where the family still has a farm today. That's also the same property where he planted 70,000 pine trees. There is even a lake nearby named after him, Powell Lake.
Curtis has been a Christian since the age of 13, and his philosophy still today is, "Pay your tithe, live within your means, reserving what you need, and giving away the rest. This allows you to watch the joy it brings to your loved ones."
Curtis was preceded in death by his wife, Gladys; brother, Henry; and daughter-in-law, Marcia. He is survived by his children, Anthony Powell and wife Kittie, Sheila Strickland and husband Richard, Curt Powell, Jr. and wife Karen, Karen Johnson and husband Tom, and Helen Eaton and husband Ron; and sisters, Lois Anderson, and Louise Wilson.
Funeral services will be 10:00 a.m., Friday, March 18, 2022, at First Baptist Church in Fayetteville. Burial will follow at Fayetteville National Cemetery. Visitation will be from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., Thursday, March 17, 2022, at Moore’s Chapel in Fayetteville. Arrangements are by Moore’s Chapel in Fayetteville.
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