Obituary for Ruth Aregood Powell

Ruth Aregood Powell leapt joyfully into the arms of her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on 12/7/15! Born at home on a farm in rural Nebraska, she grew up in the church, where the love of the Lord and its expression in music shaped her life. She played piano for the Sunday school and sang in choirs wherever she went. She gave her heart to Jesus at a youth camp one summer, and served Him faithfully all her life. She might have missed church a handful of times in her 88 years, but she would be the first to tell you that this wasn’t to earn God’s favor, but to serve Him in joyful gratitude.

She graduated from high school in a class of 11 and was awarded a scholarship at Nebraska Wesleyan where she earned her Master’s Degree in Social Work (“to help with the mess the world was in”). She was only 3 hours short of a double major, the other being in music. She later attended Garrett Theological Seminary, graduating with a degree in Christian Education. She frequently told this story of her most memorable experience at Garrett:

“I was playing the piano at the dorm, and I looked out the window and saw this handsome man walking up the sidewalk to the front door. At that moment I felt a touch on my shoulder and a voice in my ear saying, ‘This one’s for you.’ I laughed out loud and said, ‘Oh that only happens in the movies!’ I later told God I was sorry for doubting Him!”

She walked down the aisle with the man God chose for her, and loved that preacher until the day he went home to be with the Lord in 2000, and beyond.

Jack and Ruth had 3 children: Steve (Candace) Powell, Linda (Lance) Norman, and Tim (Jean) Powell. As a mother, Ruth taught all of them to sing and play the piano, and the love of music has been carried from generation to generation. The family sang together in harmony for various church events when the kids were young, and bedtime was always preceded with a hymn and prayer.

Ruth elected to teach piano at home, so she could be there for her kids. At one point she had 80 students! Multiplied by the 50+ years she taught, the impact is inestimable. She was active in the National Music Teachers’ Association (serving as president for a year or two), and shared the love and joy of music with humor and patience. Some of her students became quite accomplished musicians, for which she took no credit (“God gives the talent, I just help with the counting and fingering!”). Some are now music teachers themselves, a fact that both humbled and amazed her. She taught right up until the day she stepped off the planet, because she said she’d rather “die on the piano bench” than retire. Perhaps God thought it was time her musical gifts were added to the celestial choruses…

She was blessed with 8 grandchildren - Daniel (Candice) White, Aubrey (Jason) Cox, Zachary White, Josiah (Megan) Powell, John (Beth) Powell, Andrew White, Nathaniel Powell, and Oliver Powell; and 8 great-grandchildren – Louis, Carmen, Cathrine, Jackson, Boston, Lydia, Julia, and Roman. When we were all together, she was in her element…you could tell by the radiant, ear-to-ear smile on her face!

As much as we all miss her, as much as we ache for her to be with us, we know the life she lives now is the one she has eagerly anticipated since she met her Lord. It is the life He promises to all who will surrender their will to His, the life she was created for, the one Jesus died to give her. She fulfilled her earthly mission, and her legacy will ripple unconditional love, contagious joy, sacrificial generosity, undeserved kindness, and unending faithfulness—and beautiful music!—for generations to come.

Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman that fears the LORD, she shall be praised. ~ Proverbs 31:30