Thelma Christine Powell Gwaltney

When Thelma Christine Powell was born on October 16, 1912, in Carroll County, Arkansas, her father, Robert, was 29 and her mother, Gertrude, was 21. She married Thomas Nash Gwaltney on January 24, 1942. They had six children in 10 years. She died on October 31, 2002, in West Plains, Missouri, at the age of 90.

Thelma went to her first 8 grades of school at Coin.   To go to High School the first year she boarded with Uncle Jesse and Aunt Una Powell so she would be near Green Forest High School.  Her second year of High School she went away to boarding school at Point Lookout, MO.  She graduated from School of the Ozarks and then went to college in Berea, Kentucky where she finished with a degree in nursing.  She paid for Winnie Ree to go to beauty school.  She stayed with Floyd Powell after his heart attack and we believed saved his life.  When Daddy's cancer was found, she wrote up a vitamin regiment for him to take.  He lived 10 more years.  She was a special Aunt to all Willis Powell's children.

I have always wondered about her red hair.  I guess it came from Betty Cooper's Dad.  Winnie Ree thought the red hair came from the Maple's family.

From Sister Patsy:  (note from Sister Three--I did not post the picture that Patsy had up)
 My father's sister, Thelma had bright red hair, She was wife, mother and a nurse. .We loved her dearly. She probably was the most intelligent person I ever have known not counting my Grandfather, Milton Powell. This is a picture of her after she left her abusive drunkard husband and took up her nursing career again. My father and Thelma were very close. She had 6 brothers and sisters and out lived them all.The last 10 years she lived with the effects of a massive stroke. Her one side was dead and she couldn't speak, daddy always said when Thelma gets that red hair hanging down in her face you had better watch out!   Patsy Powell Poor

 Daddy (Willis), Thelma and Uncle Truman--1916

 Back row--Fleta, Thelma, Truman, and Daddy (Willis) about 1920--front row is Oma's children

Letter Thelma wrote to her Dad in 1925.

 Thelma married Thomas Nash Gwaltney Jan. 24, 1942.  She met him when she was a nurse where he was hospitalized I think with the neck injury above.  Below Tom is on the left!  A marriage reference says they were married in San Francisco, CA.  The picture below says taken in Hawaii!

Tom Gwaltney went into the Navy in March of 1942.  Not long after Pearl Harbor.  He left the service in November of 1943.  He served about a year and a half.

I know Aunt Thelma was county health nurse for the county, Alton, MO, is in.   After she and Tom seperated, she worked in the Nursing Department of Lincoln University in Jefferson City, MO.  Thelma and Tom remained married until death.  Here is what I found about the College.  After she retired, she worked part time at the College at Harrison, AR.

Lincoln University is a historically black university founded in 1866 by African-American veterans of the American Civil War and located in Jefferson City, Missouri. In 2007, it was ranked #3 for economic diversity, #5 for campus ethnic diversity, and #9 for most international students according to U.S. News & World Report rankings of master's-level universities in the Midwest. It is a member-school of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.

The school was founded as Lincoln Institute in 1866 by veterans of the 62nd and 65th Regiments United States Colored Troops (USCT) Infantry. The former soldiers intended to provide an education to African Americans through the combining of academics and labor, in the industrial school model characteristic of Booker T. Washington's influential Tuskegee Institute. Under the Morrill Act of 1890, Missouri designated the school as a land-grant university, emphasizing agriculture, mechanics and teaching.

By 1921, the college had expanded to offer graduate programs and was officially designated a university by the state of Missouri. It changed its name to "Lincoln University of Missouri." In 1954, it opened its doors to applicants of all races. It provides both undergraduate and graduate courses.

 Back row--Donnie, Jimmy, Patsy and Richard
Front--Frankie, Winnie Jo, Tommy Lou, Clayton, and Suzy

Thlema's oldest son Robert Gwaltney born in 1944.

 Fleta, Winnie, Betty, and Thelma
Thelma's sister, Winnie Powell Reed, wrote this to Fleta Aday November 3, 1993.
I think Thelma being the oldest always felt she had to watch after and tell us all what to do. Thelma was always Mom's favorite. I can't remember anything about her before she was a teenager. I can't remember her ever being happy till she went to Green Forest to stay with Uncle Jess (Papa's bro.) While gong to high school. One year then to Sof O for three years. I think her red hair and freckles were a handicap. Red hair and freckles came from the Maples side, so Mom thought they were OK. Her red hair had a lot of body and was very pretty.
Thelma graduated from high school at School of the Ozarks which was sixty miles north of Green Forest (a boarding school). While at S of O she worked in the school hospital and got a scholarship to go to college majoring in nursing. From college she got a job teaching nursing in St. Louis City Hospital. She got married to Tom Gwaltney while working in St. Louis. They never had a good marriage but produced 6 children. Winnie Reed

 Winnie, Betty, Fleta, and Thelma

 Thelma, Fleta, Winnie and Betty

 Powell family lined up in birth order.

 Powell family again 1948

Daddy in white shirt on sofa, Fleta by him, Thelma on sofa arm, Truman behind her, Winnie kneeling in black pants.  Others are Moore family.

Fleta, Helen--do I have Winnie and Fleta reversed.  Which is which?  I always have trouble telling them apart!

 Daddy and his sister Thelma July 1988!   Daddy had cancer of the bone.  I think the picture was July 25, 1988 for Dad's birthday.  He could walk with a walker on his birthday, but shortly after the cancer ate though his backbone and he could not walk.

Thelma wanted to be present when Daddy drew his last breath.  She said to call no matter what the time of night.  Well, about August 15, Fleta and I decided that he was going and called Aunt Thelma about 1 a. m.   She came within the hour.  Daddy opened his eyes and saw his sister.  He decided to put off going that night so they could have one last long good visit.  They sat and talked til dawn and then Aunt Thelma went back home.  The next time, we thought his moment had came...we did not call his sister for he would have held on longer again.  He passed away August 21, 1988.  She was not present and Momma sat in the kitchen so he could go on home!  We rejoiced that he hurt no more and then wept because we did not have him any longer.

Daddy and Thelma enjoyed a good debate.  They took opposite view points and argued their case.  Once Thelma argued that if she died she would come back as something else---perhaps a pretty flower!  Daddy told her she would be a weed.  Read the Bible he scolded her.  It was all in fun just to get him going!  Thelma loved going to Uncle Truman's.  She would go and get walnuts to pick out for her recipes.  She loved walnuts.  Daddy, Thelma and Fleta were really sick when they were young children.  I think with malaria.  The Doctor told Grandma and Grandpa to hardly give them food. Daddy was about 7 is what I think.  He told us this story over and over.  In the day when his parents were busy, he would crawl out the window.  No screens then.  A walnut tree was there by their sick room window and Daddy filled up on walnuts passing them to his sisters.  He said surely without the walnuts they would have died!

 Fleta Powell Merk and Thelma -- retirement days

 Thelma's youngest three boys-- Larry, Mike, and Max

 Singing school --Thelma is on back row.  She is 14th from left

Thelma and Tom's family -- all grown

 Thelma sent this to Daddy about 1941--it says--Love to Willis and Hazel--comment about not looking like her because she is smiling.

 Thelma and Tom and family 1955

Erin and Thelma--two nurses
Thelma worked with lots of Doctors.  She believed that most had their noses so high in the air it messed up their vision.  She was having some type of surgery and they said no food the night before.  She told me she bought a bag of jelly beans and ate the entire bag.  She said she would need the extra energy.  Once when she did go to the doctor, she had a medical study for him to read.  She was really put out as she said when she returned she was sure he did not take the time to read what she had wanted him to.  She probably felt that she knew more than most doctors and she probably did.

 Daddy, Thelma and Truman belwo and Betty, Dad and Thelma above

 After she had her stroke--5 Willis Powell Children went to Missouri see her.

Recipe from Aunt Thelma

Crisp X Cookies

cup of lard

cup of brown sugar 

cup of white sugar

2 eggs 

1 t. vanilla

Cream this together

cup and a half of flour

1 t. soda

1 t. salt

2 heaping T. of cocoa

Sift all these dry ingredients together

Then Thelma says to beat dry ingredients into creamed base until sugar is melted.

Then add

3 cups of oatmeal

half a cup of black walnuts

1 cup of raisens

Mix all this well.   The batter will be very stiff.  Roll into balls and bake on cookie sheet greased.  She says to make the balls about the size of a walnut.  Bake in moderate over (350 degrees).  She says don't overcook.  Probably 12 to 15 minutes is my guess.  

Thelma liked these cookies.  She would bring them to our house for our get togethers.  Yes, she came often after she moved to Harrison.  Daddy loved her dearly, but Momma adored her too.  She was welcomed and esteemed at our home.