Wilmetta (Willie) Jean Powell

Wilmetta "Willie" Jean Powell, 93, of Grand Island, formerly of St. Paul, passed away on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, at Good Samaritan Society Skilled Care, shortly after a treasured visit from family members.

Willie was born February 16, 1933, in Burchard, NE, the third of four children to Elmer & Elsie (Schuetz) Siske. She grew up on the family farm near Burchard Lake and graduated from Lewiston High School in 1950.

On September 1, 1950, Willie married Burgess Eugene Powell, Sr., at Salem United Church of Christ near Burchard, Nebraska. Following their marriage, Burgess worked as a bridge crew foreman for Central States Bridge Co., Lynn-Roberts Construction Co., and Beatrice Construction, which took the young family across the countryside. They called 22 towns in three states "home" between 1950 and 1963. Three children were born during those years of adventure: Deb, born in Lincoln; Kathy, born in Pawnee City; and Burgess Jr., born in St. Paul.

In 1963, Willie and Burgess put down permanent roots in St. Paul, Nebraska, where they built their home on the east edge of town. To help pay for the house and later fund their children’s education, Willie worked at the St. Paul Bakery, in the St. Paul Public Schools cafeteria, and at the Cornhusker Army Ammunition Plant (CAAP) in Grand Island. After the ammunition plant closed, a group of women she worked with continued to gather monthly for lunch – a testament to the friendships Willie cultivated.

Willie was, above all else, a caretaker, a homemaker, and a protector who instinctively put others, especially her family, before herself. A longtime member of Al-Anon, she found strength in community and extended it to the people she loved.

The home in St. Paul became the heart of the family for decades. Willie hosted countless Thanksgivings and Christmases, and her children and grandchildren carry a treasure chest of holiday memories from those gatherings. A favorite tradition at the holiday table, alongside the expected turkey and trimmings, was a dessert the family affectionately called "Cherry Crap," their endearing name for a cherry fluff recipe that was eagerly anticipated every year.

The holidays also came with a beloved piece of family lore: the kids' table. Year after year, the grandchildren held court at their own table while the grown-ups' table remained the exclusive domain of the elder Powell children, their spouses, and their parents. The kids' table grew and grew as the grandchildren got older and started families of their own — yet the grown-ups' table held firm. One memorable year, grandson Nate made a bid to cross the great divide and join the grown-ups' table, only to be met with some sharp, witty remarks from Willie. The grown-ups' table held its ground.

In September of 1990, Willie and Burgess celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary at the Legion Club. When the two of them took to the dance floor, everyone in the room stopped to watch in awe. We didn’t know they were phenomenal swing dancers!

Over the years, Willie and Burgess spent many relaxing weekends at the river with dear friends Dick and Donna Dobish. Willie was also a regular at the Sweet Shoppe, where she enjoyed coffee and good conversation with friends, and at the Senior Center, where she loved having lunch and playing BINGO – until COVID temporarily put a damper on those gatherings. For many years, she faithfully volunteered at the Blood Mobile and helped with funeral lunches at the church. When she was at home, she could often be found reading or working through a word search puzzle while snacking on a delicious piece of chocolate or a handful of Dot’s pretzels.

Just a few weeks before her passing, Willie's children took her out to celebrate her 93rd birthday, and the conversation turned, with plenty of laughter, to memories of the family's old station wagon. Each of the three had a story to tell. Kathy recalled the time the rest of the family drove off and left her behind. Deb shared stories of her chapter behind the wheel through college, when the car became hers. Burgess Jr. reminded everyone how they would fight over who got to sit in the way back. And there was a lot of laughing about a hole that was in the floor in the back! It was, by all accounts, a very good birthday.

In November 2022, following a brief hospitalization, Willie moved to Brookefield Park in St. Paul, where she made new friends, and, ever the good sport, she learned to play the card game Golf. In October 2024, she and her dear friend Linda Alexander made the move together to Crane Meadows Assisted Living apartments in Grand Island, where the two continued to play Golf and BINGO and kept each other thoroughly entertained.

When someone would ask Willie how she was doing, she had a favorite response: "There are people out there that I haven't pestered yet, and I'm going to get them."

Willie was the last surviving member of her immediate family. She was preceded in death by her husband, Burgess; her brothers, Loren (Viannah) Siske and Glenn (Iris) Siske; her sister, Delores (Bill) Seeman; and her grandson, Nathan Kassebaum.

She is survived by her three children and their spouses: Deb (Tom) Grim of Grand Island, Kathy (Roger) Kassebaum of Omaha, and Burgess Jr. (Ginger) Powell of Norfolk; five grandchildren: Kim (Brian) Calkins of Phillips, Mike (Kelly) Grim of Grand Island, Katie (Kyle) Godbout of Omaha, Tanner (Sarah Preisinger) Powell of Omaha, and Kolton Powell of Omaha; eleven great-grandchildren: Alissa (Nick) Sampayan, Xander (Jessica) Kassebaum, and Michaelyn Kassebaum, all of Mesa, Arizona; Morgan, Haley, and Landon Calkins of Phillips; Brecken and Gavin Godbout of Omaha; and Stella, Ruby, and Thomas Grim of Grand Island; and two great-great-grandchildren: Silas Nathan Sampayan and August Nathan Kassebaum, both of Mesa, Arizona.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to St. Mark's Lutheran Church, Brookefield Park Skilled Nursing & Rehabilitation, or Good Samaritan Society – Grand Island Village – Crane Meadows.

Visitation will be held Friday, March 20, from 5–7 p.m. at Jacobsen-Greenway-Dietz Funeral Home, 411 O Street, St. Paul, NE 68873. Funeral services will be held Saturday, March 21, at 1 p.m. at Jacobsen-Greenway-Dietz Funeral Home, followed by graveside services at Elmwood Cemetery, 704 6th St. A light luncheon will follow at Jacobsen-Greenway-Dietz Funeral Home.