July 10--The lone surviving sibling of a downstate family that sent seven sons to war died Wednesday, marking what loved ones call the "end of an era."
George Powell, 99, died in Traverse City, Mich., after suffering a stroke two days earlier, said his daughter Paula Prusick.
Powell, one of 13 children, was among seven brothers who served in WWII from 1939 to 1944. Military records show at least six Powell brothers served in active war zones in Europe and the Pacific islands. All survived the war and would return at varying times to the family's farmhouse in downstate Hillview -- about 60 miles southwest of Springfield.
The family's history will soon be honored with a dedication of a stretch of U.S. Route 67. About 35 miles passing through Greene County is now known as the Powell Brothers Memorial Highway after a joint resolution passed the Illinois Legislature last spring.
"This is an end of an era -- the last of 13 children to go," said John Powell, 37, whose paternal grandfather was one of George Powell's brothers. "That generation will never be repeated."
State Sen. Sam McCann, R-Carlinville, said plans for a dedication ceremony, which will unveil signs along the highway that don the Powell family name, are still in the works. The ceremony will likely be Aug. 14 to coincide with the annual Powell family reunion, he said.
Prusick said her father was pleased when he heard of the recognition of his family's military service, but she wasn't sure he would have attended the ceremony due to his declining health.
"I'm sure spiritually, he'll be there," she said. "He was very humble, but you could tell he was excited about it."
Prusick, 60, also of Traverse City, described her father as a "true gentleman," who was a dedicated father and grandfather. She said his dry sense of humor made him popular at the rehabilitation center where he lived and quickly endeared him to anyone he met.
"He just had this way about him that drew people in," she said. "It speaks volumes, because everywhere he went, all of the aides and nurses couldn't leave him alone. He was such a magnet."
And, despite his health the past month, Prusick said her dad was "incredibly sharp right up until the end."
He described his great grandchildren as "better than any medicine," she added.
Powell, whose wife, Lillian, died in 2012, worked at an auto body manufacturing plant in Lansing, Mich., after the war, then went on to become an investigator for the state liquor control commission, eventually becoming a district supervisor for northern Michigan.
He retired in 1978, and then fished "almost every day" until he was in his late 80s, including winters when he lived in Florida, Prusick said. Besides fishing, he loved "a Bombay Sapphire martini with three olives," she said.
Prusick said Powell was sweet but firm and "ruled with a pretty hard hand, but only for our best interests."
"He wasn't a big guy, but his job required him being tough, and he was," she said.
After his wife died, Powell told his daughters they "hovered" too much, Prusick said. "His favorite saying was, 'What do you think I am, an old man?'"
And, while he was proud of his military background, family members said he rarely discussed his time as a naval aviation mechanic, serving in the Pacific islands during the war.
Jim Powell -- George Powell's nephew and John Powell's father -- said all the Powell brothers were the same way. Jim's father, Fred, was one of the seven Powell brothers to serve in WWII.
"They didn't really dwell on their service," he said. "They just came back, went to work and raised their families."
That didn't diminish their impact, added Jim Powell, who said he served as a Navy pilot from 1965 to 1972. "All those guys had a great influence on my generation."
John Powell, of Springfield, said he had just visited his great-uncle over the holiday weekend and was able to introduce him to his two young children. He said they discussed the upcoming dedication.
"I was glad after two years, it finally got done," John Powell said, referring to the time it took to get the highway naming resolution passed by Illinois legislators.
McCann said the intent was to have the ceremony during George Powell's lifetime, and he was disappointed that didn't happen.
"I am thankful that we were able to get it passed at least before he passed, so that he knew it had been done," McCann said. "We always want to not only remember our past, but honor those who sacrificed to preserve the union, to preserve this way of life. It's just fitting and proper to honor the family."
In addition to Prusick, Powell is survived by another daughter, Shelly Appold, five grandchildren, three great-grandchildren and many other family members.
kthayer@tribpub.com
A previous version of this story had the wrong day that George Powell died.
