Lola Powell

Pope Powell passed on January 15. She was the youngest daughter of Andrew Curtis

and Leticia Kennedy Pope’s nine children. Lola lived 95 years in the county where her

great grandparents homesteaded after the Civil War. Her father was instrumental

procuring the original bridge across the Mantatee River at Rye (Mitchellville at that

time) when mail was delivered by boat. When she was born, the county seat was ‘Pine

Level’ (off Hwy 70 toward Arcadia), where her father, a county commissioner, rode

horseback to the courthouse. Lola saw Manatee Avenue go from sand to shell before

any bridge crossed the north end of Braden River. She recalled a time when horses

and wagons had to ford when the tide was out. Her father helped champion Hwy. 64

West through the county, getting a bridge built on the north end of the Braden River

into Manatee, site of a second county seat and today’s current historical village. Every

road off Hwy. 64 East, starting with Morgan Johnson Road, was named after relatives

until changed in the last decade. Her father helped build Baptist churches, including

Bethany where her family worshipped.

Lola recalled the family’s wagon leaving for church before dawn with lanterns

attached to the sides of two horses’ heads. Churchgoing from childhood, she began

singing with family, then in choirs until age 80. In midlife she also sang in quartets.

Her mother, Leticia, helped start quartet singing conventions throughout the area.

Lola graduated from Bradenton High School (now Manatee) and was the oldest living

alumni. During WWII she worked at North Island Naval Air Base, San Diego, California.

A Palmetto First Baptist member since 1954, she served as a youth secretary and

events coordinator, traveling summers to Ridgecrest, North Carolina as a chaperone.

She helped establish First Baptist Church of Ellenton and Palm View Church. In

Palmetto’s Women’s Club, she was active cooking and assisting in fair food booths.

She, also, was the office manager for her husband’s business.

Preceded in death by husband C.B. “Jack” Powell, but still independent, Lola moved

to Franklin, NC in 2012. She is survived by a daughter, Bonnie Powell, of Franklin, an

exchange student daughter, Susan Sweeney Bowe of Australia, and multi-generational

nieces, nephews, and cousins in Manatee County, the Florida Panhandle, and Western

North Carolina. A great historian and storyteller, Lola loved cooking, all things sewing,

singing, Bible study, and family and friends. She participated each October in the

Pope, Kennedy and Johnson Pioneer Families’ Reunion where, after pot luck dinner, all

who wanted would gather to sing and play the old gospel songs she loved. Her arrangements are through Groover Funeral Home, Ellenton, but her service will be held at First Baptist of Palmetto located at 1020 4th St W #5003, Palmetto on Saturday, Jan. 23 at 1 P.M. There will be no graveside service. In lieu of flowers, Lola wished for you to contribute to your church of choice.