Elizabeth Barbara Henry Powelson

July 13, 1915 – Jan. 26, 2012

[caption id="attachment_2744" align="alignright" width="233" caption="Elizabeth Barbara Henry Powelson"][/caption]Elizabeth Barbara Henry Powelson died on Jan. 26, 2012, in Orem, Utah. The last few weeks she fought a courageous battle for life, but was happy to move on to her eternal reward.Elizabeth was a loving and devoted wife, mother, sister, grandmother, great- grandmother and friend. Her many acts of quiet kindness and service will long be remembered by all who knew and loved her. She made everyone feel important as she brightened their days and lives.Making friends was easy for her and she had many, but being a friend was more important to her and she certainly knew how to be a friend. She treasured the closeness of her entire family and enjoyed their many gatherings and activities. She was always appreciative of all their love, concern and kindness toward her, especially during the waning days and years of her life.Elizabeth was born in the small prairie town of Harrison, Neb., on July 13, 1915, to John Peter Henry and Elnora Helen O’Connell Henry. She grew to adulthood along with her sister, Kathryn Ann Henry (Sheets), on the large Henry Ranch, which was 21 miles north of the town of Harrison. Her parents were extremely hard-working people and were able to turn the plains into a very productive and profitable ranch operation. She was educated in a small one-room schoolhouse heated only by a large pot-bellied stove. There were eight to 10 children from the surrounding ranches who attended the school from first through eighth grades.Her high school years were spent in Harrison, where she lived with relatives. After high school she attended a business college in Denver. Her family and local ranchers attended a Catholic church, which sat on a knoll about three miles from their ranch and was easily recognized for miles around. They contributed generously to help build the church. Through coal oil lamps, wood-burning stoves, horses and buggies, raging winter blizzards, summer lightning, dust storms and rattlesnakes, the family thrived on love, ambition and a great desire to improve their lot in life. She descended from pioneering people who came to America primarily from Germany and Ireland. They knew the inherent values of hard work, honesty, fair play and faith in God. Elizabeth passed these traits on to her posterity, for which they are eternally grateful.Her life changed dramatically when she met Clifford Powelson from Byron. He was a young, handsome oil field worker who was working in the oil fields of eastern Wyoming at the time. They met at a dance in Lusk and it was love at first sight. It wasn’t long before they married on March 1, 1938, in Hot Springs, S. D. Just before they married her father suddenly died and about a year and a half later her mother passed away. For the first few years of their married life they lived in Wyoming, Nebraska, Montana, and North and South Dakota, where her husband continued to work in the oil fields. Eventually they moved back to her husband’s hometown of Byron, where they were surrounded by loving family, neighbors and friends.She was immediately absorbed into the friendly little town and soon became a permanent figure. After a few years and with her natural faith, goodness and desire to learn she was gradually taught the gospel and was baptized into the church to which her husband belonged - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She was active in the church throughout her life and held many positions, including seminary teacher, Sunday school teacher, stake Young Women’s presidency, Relief Society presidency, visiting teacher, as well as supporting her husband, Cliff, for eight years while he served as bishop of the Byron Ward.After Cliff retired they served two missions for the church - one in Hilo, Hawaii and one at the Cody Mural as tour guides in Cody. She also served two stake missions in the Big Horn Stake. They traveled extensively throughout the United States as well as some areas of Canada and Mexico.They were the parents of two children - Douglas Henry Powelson (Shawna Roberts) of Orem, Utah, and Colleen Ruth Powelson (Clark T. Thorstenson) of Provo, Utah.Elizabeth’s husband, Cliff, died in Cody on July 23, 1999. Since then she has spent most of her time in Provo and Orem, Utah. Among her greatest joys were the daily visits of her two children and their families and her many friends.Funeral services will be held at noon on Saturday, Feb. 4, at the Mojave Ward Chapel - 3050 Mojave Lane, Provo, Utah. She will be buried next to her husband, Clifford, after the graveside rites at the city cemetery in Byron on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012, at 10 a.m.Condolences may be sent to the family at www.utahvalleyfuneral.com.