Patricia Evelyn Wallace Powers

Patricia Evelyn Wallace Powers of Waterford, Vermont passed away peacefully in her home on June 29, 2022 surrounded by loved ones. 

Pat (as she liked to be called) was born at Littleton Hospital in Littleton, NH on April 25, 1926. She is the daughter of Mamie (Gray) Lyon and the step-daughter of Frank Norton Wallace. She lived in Upper Waterford throughout most of her childhood and attended Waterford Schools and graduated from St. Johnsbury Academy in 1944. After graduating high school, she went to Providence Bible School in Rhode Island, graduating in 1947. She took voice lessons and sang in a traveling group that also performed for weekly radio broadcasts. 

On June 6, 1947 she married Russell Frank Powers of Waterford, Vermont. Lovingly, she’d joke that she knew from the time she was in elementary school that he was the one but it just took him a few years to figure that out. Pat and Russell lived in Franklin, Massachusetts for several years before returning to Waterford, Vermont in 1956 where they spent many wonderful decades raising their family of six children and working their dairy farm. 

Home is where Pat found comfort. She was happiest when surrounded by family members, her church family and members of the community. People came from all over the States and from other countries to buy the farm’s maple syrup and to share stories and a meal. She took pride in her cooking and was locally famous for her raised doughnuts, pies, cookies, chicken and biscuits, fish chowder and stews. Everyone that walked through her door was offered a bite to eat and no one left hungry. 

Her home was filled with music, flowers, drawings from her grandchildren and pictures of her large family. She loved to play the piano and sing and she encouraged her children and grandchildren to often sit alongside her on the piano bench and sing a few tunes, especially Christmas carols during the holidays or a favorite hymn when she needed comfort or wanted to sing praises in her beautiful soprano voice.

She loved watching the Red Sox, Jeopardy and the Wheel of Fortune.

She worked hard caring for her family and giving her time to her church and Waterford community. She served as a Waterford Town Auditor for 22 years and was recognized in 2005 with the Caledonia County Public Service Award for her many years of auditing. She was also a Davies Memorial Library Trustee for 20 years, a member of the Gideon Auxiliary, and a member of Union Baptist Church, where she taught Sunday School, served on a Missions Committee and sang in the choir. Her favorite hymns include How Great Thou Art, Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus, I Should Know Him, Face to Face and In the Garden.

Pat also donated much of her time to the The Waterford Historical Society, providing valuable and accurate descriptions and photos of Upper Waterford before and after New England Power’s hydro-electric Samuel C. Moore Dam was built. Pat often told stories of how Upper Waterford began dismantling in 1936. Two cemeteries were moved. Buildings were either torn down or relocated. The barn behind her Waterford home, which the family refers to as “the heifer barn” came from Upper Waterford and was rebuilt around 1949-50. 

We are grateful for Pat’s attention to detail, which is noticed in the carefully preserved historical documents and the oral and written stories she’s shared. At 96 years of age, she could still recount in full detail the description of a dress or hat she wore when she was a toddler, the names of every community member that lived in Upper Waterford, each branch of our ancestry, and scenarios that made her laugh until she cried. Because of her attention to detail, her endless love and hospitality to all, and her unwavering Faith, she lives on. 

She will be with us when we prepare her family recipes and dunk the next delicious batches of raised donuts into maple syrup. She will be with us when we hear birdsong and see fresh morning dew. She will be with us when we see a garden snake basking in the sunlight (Oh, how she would shriek! But the memory of those shrieks will make us laugh!). She will be with us when we pour that first cup of hot coffee each morning and read the daily news. She will be with us when we hug our loved ones and say our blessings each night.

One of Pat’s great pleasures throughout her last years was to put her thoughts into poetry. She wrote poems about the weather, her childhood, the struggles and joys of motherhood, farming life and the community. She also enjoyed writing letters and sending cards to let those she loved know she was thinking of them. Her handwriting was eloquent and flawless right until the end. 

Pat was predeceased by her mother and step-father, an infant daughter (Lois Eileen Powers), a granddaughter (Kristen Lee Grant), a grandson (Matthew Grant), her son (Daniel Glen Powers) and her husband (Russel Powers). She is survived by her children: Ronald and Sherrill Powers of Waterford; Judi and Steve Daniels of Waterford; Sandy and Ken Grant of Lyndonville; Sharon and Nick Bohlen of Centennial, Colorado; Kevin and Debbie Powers of Waterford; and her daughter-in-law, Jane Powers Lyon. She is also survived by 21 grandchildren, 34 great-grandchildren, one great-great granddaughter and another great-great granddaughter that she was excited to know will be arriving any day. 

There will be a burial at the Riverside Cemetery in Waterford on Tuesday, July 5th at 10:00 AM. The public is welcome to a Memorial Celebration of Pat’s life on Sunday, July 10 at 2:00 PM at the Concord Community Church. Reception will follow.

The family would like to thank everyone who reached out to Pat and expressed their love and thoughts. We would also like to especially thank Hospice and Home Health for the compassionate care they provided. 

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to Samaritan’s Purse, PO Box 3000, Boone, NC 28607 (https://www.samaritanspurse.org/).

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end… They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” - Lamentations 3:22

Memories and condolences can be shared with the family at saylesfh.com