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Ethel Powell Obituary

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Ethel Powell

Milton, FL

January 16, 1922 - October 14, 2014

Ethel Powell Obituary

Ethel Juanita Smith Powell Jan. 16, 1922- Oct. 14, 2014 The following was written and presented at the Smith-Parker family reunion held on 6-26-2014. Juanita was born on January 16, 1922 at 1 a.m. at home in Harold, Florida to Minnie Francis Parker Smith and Ambrose Grover Smith. She was the fifth child in a family of seven. Her older siblings were Eva, Lester, Carlie and Mallory. Her younger sisters were Ella Mae and Essie. Today she is the last of the siblings that is still alive and she is 92 years old. Her father, who most people called “Am”, was employed to run turpentine stills. The lumber and turpentine business was very big in the 1920’s and 30’s in Santa Rosa County. “Am” cooked the turpentine and made barrels to hold the turpentine when it was finished. “Am” would not let the kids get near the still when he was cooking the turpentine for fear they might get burned; however, Juanita has fond memories of watching her Dad at work and helping him make the barrels for the turpentine. The first ten years of Juanita’s life involved many moves within Santa Rosa County as her father followed the turpentine business. She was born in Harold and they later moved to Milton on Elmira St. After the 1929 flood they moved to the area between Mulat and Pace near the Jim Thames Ranch and lived in a big house that belonged to Judge McCloud, to work in the still at Mulat. One day when they were away, their house was robbed, Minnie and the kids came home while the robbers were still there but she took them out in the field and waited unto they left. The robbers took everything they owned even the beds they slept on. They then moved to a house in Mulat across the road from the railroad tracks near the turpentine still. Mulat, at that time, was a thriving community with a church, a school, post office, train depot and several businesses. It was at Mulat that Juanita witnessed a miracle which had a great impact on her life and faith in God. Essie, a toddler, was outside playing and wandered across the road. She was found in the drainage ditch between the road and railroad tracks face down. She was pronounced dead by three different doctors but Minnie would not let anyone take her baby but walked the floors and prayed. On the third day Essie coughed up blood and water and woke up. Minnie rejoiced in the miracle and became a mighty prayer warrior the rest of her life. Mulat held good memories for all of the Smith clan. That’s the reason the first family reunions were held there until the land was sold and could not be used by the public any more. Today the reunions are being held in Bagdad which is quite appropriate since Bagdad was the hub of the lumber and turpentine business until 1940’s. When Juanita was about 10 years old in 1932, the family made one more move to Ferris Hill on Econfina Street. Ambrose had moved to manage the turpentine still at “Pan-ne-am” (that is how she pronounced it) which was out Munson Highway near the back gate of Whiting Field today. Ambrose had a new home built on Econfina Street and it was almost as nice as the Powell home at the corner of Munson Highway and Econfina Street. Minnie Smith started going to the Pentecostal Church that was there on the hill. She quickly received the baptism of the Holy Ghost and was baptized in “Jesus Name” in Blackwater River. Juanita, who was very attached to her mother, followed her and was baptized in the bay at Floridatown by Bro. D. L. Welch, who was holding a tent revival at the time. When Juanita was 14 years old, she and her mother were leaving church one night after service when JT Powell stepped up and ask if he could walk her home. What she found out later was that several of the boys were arguing about who was going to walk her home when JT informed them that none of them were going to walk her home because he was. Juanita did not know JT very well since he had been living and working in Pensacola and had just moved back home. JT started courting Juanita and their romance blossomed. When JT asked Ambrose if he could marry Juanita he agreed. So on June 12, 1937, at the age of 15, Juanita and JT were married in Crestview by the Judge in his office. Ambrose Smith and Clifton Pittman had taken them to Crestview and were the witnesses to the ceremony. After the wedding the happy couple lived with Carlie and Clifton for a couple of weeks until they could move into an apartment that Aunt Dolly Sanders had on Econfina Street across the road from where she lives today. It was in this apartment that Bill on February 6, 1938 was born prematurely just eight months after her and JT married. Did that ever start tongues wagging? During the first 10 years of marriage they would have a total of 5 boys born to them but no girls. Bill was followed by Cecil, Hugh, Tommy and Curtis. In 1940 Granny Powell gave the young couple a shack across the street from Aunt Dolly’s apartment. They lived there until the next year when JT could afford to start tearing it down and rebuilding it. That house was remodeled and added to until JT became too old to do it anymore. Hugh, Tommy and Curtis were born in this house. Cecil had been born in the Smith home. JT worked in the construction field and provided a good living for Juanita and the children. When the children were grown and Curtis was old enough, Juanita wanted to try her hand at a public job. This of course caused great tension in the Powell household but as always she got her way because JT always babied her. Juanita worked at several jobs and worked as long as she wanted to because she did not have to work. She worked at Myrick’s Grocery Store in the meat department for awhile. Then she was a cashier at the Super 5 & 10. Next she was a floor lady at Carp’s Department Store and West Brothers Department Store. Her next job was with IGA where she was a cashier. Finally she managed a clothing store for Bob Glass in Pensacola. November 6, 1980 their life changed. JT fell from a ladder at work into a pile of bricks. This sent JT into retirement and for the next few months it was touch and go. After about a year JT began to regain his strength and they enjoyed retirement. They camped and fished at Bear Lake and other places. Many times it was with Aunt Essie and Uncle Arzo. They also bought land and built a cabin near Yellow River in Holt. Gardening, fishing, camping and Church was the good life for them. Since 1932 when God revealed himself to her, God and the Church has been the most important thing in her life. There were several times that she backslid but she always found her way back. Her Mother had been her inspiration but God has proved to be faithful to her. She wants everybody to know that it’s because of God’s goodness that she has lived such a long and good life. * * * Juanita passed away Tuesday, October 14, 2014 * * * She was preceded in death by her parents and all of her siblings; her husband, J. T. Powell; and her son, Cecil Powell. She is survived by four sons, Bill (Tiny) Powell, Hugh (Shirley) Powell, Tommy (Judy) Powell, and Curtis (Sue) Powell; 13 grandchildren; 27 great-grandchildren, 8 great-great-grandchildren; and a host of other friends and family including two wonderful caregivers: Joyce Whitaker and Callie Day. A Funeral Service will be held at 2:00 p.m., on Saturday, October 18, 2014, at Lewis Funeral Home, Milton Chapel. Visitation will be held from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Friday, October 17, 2014, at Lewis Funeral Home, Milton Chapel.

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