Anna Marie Lettermann Powell

Anna Marie Lettermann Powell, born in Taylor, Texas August 8, 1928, died at peace June 11, 2020. Daughter of Henry August and Annie Holman Lettermann, Anna Marie grew up in Taylor, the middle of three girls. She was a graduate of the first four year nursing class at the University of Texas and served on the faculty of Mid State Hospital School of Nursing in Nashville. She was pursuing graduate studies at Tulane University and working as a public health nurse at Charity Hospital in New Orleans when she met the love of her life, Daniel Benjamin Powell, Jr., a medical student at Tulane. They were married June 14, 1953. In 1959, they moved to Austin, where Dan practiced as an ear, nose and throat physician. They had four children, Daniel B. III, David Wayne, Elizabeth Anne, and Brian Hill, and Anna Marie became a full time Mom and community volunteer.

In July 1968, Dan died unexpectedly after a brief illness, leaving Anna Marie to raise four children, ages 5 to 13, on her own. She devoted herself to the task with love. Her dedication and sacrifice to her family produced four successful children, earning seven college degrees and building four loving marriages, each of over 30 years. She modeled Christ’s example of love and servanthood for all around her, and we are blessed to have been her children.

In the years after her children were on their own, she moved to Galveston, a place with happy memories. She loved living by the sea. After 20 years, she reluctantly returned to Austin to be closer to three of her children. Her grandchildren have many happy memories of visiting Grandma Ann at the beach, eating her roast beef and gravy, playing mini-golf, going to Moody Gardens, and ending every day by diving into the Blue Bell in her freezer.

Anna Marie (Ann) was a long time member of St. Martin’s Ev. Lutheran Church, Austin and First Lutheran Church, Galveston. She is survived by her two sisters, Rosalie Anderson (Grand Junction, CO) and Caroline Irvin (Houston), her four children and their spouses (Danny and Jill; David and Emily; Beth and Stuart (Nelson); Brian and Lynn), 8 grandchildren, and 6 great grandchildren, as well as extended family. She was loved, and we will all miss her, but we are thankful for many blessed memories.

A private family burial service will be held on June 18, where she will be laid to rest next to her beloved Dan at Austin Memorial Park.