| Biography/History: |
William Weaver Powell, Jr., (nicknamed "Bee") was the first child of Helen Campbell Powell (1892-1964) and William W. Powell (1888-1972). He was born on 5 Jun 1918 while his father, William Weaver Powell, was serving in the Army in France during WWI, and his mother, Helen, was living with her mother, Grace Campbell, at 2316 W First Avenue in Spokane. The Powells continued to live with Grace until her death in 1924, although also maintained a home in Nelson, British Columbia. After 1924, the family moved to 221 W Sumner in Spokane. William Jr. was confirmed in the Episcopal church in 1930, and for at least the 1934-35 school year, attended the Middlesex School in Concord, MA with his younger brother Allan (“Cam”)(1920-1944). William was attending Lewis & Clark High School in 1937-1938 when the family moved into the new home that they had built at 234 Sumner. By 1942 Lieut. W.W. Powell Jr. was enlisted in the Army; he was serving in air corps intelligence in the South Pacific when his brother, 1st Lieut. Allan Powell, died during a January 1944 mission over France. After the war, William joined his father as treasurer of the W.W. Powell Lumber Company, operating in the Spokane and Nelson, British Columbia areas. In 1952 he married Valarie Harper, born 21 May 1924 in Porirua New Zealand to George Harper and Anne Higgenbotham. They had three children, Rosalyn (b.1953), Mace (b. c.1958) and John Harper (b.1963). The couple divorced in 1978. William died in a car accident near Castlegar, BC in 1982. Valarie died in Spokane on 10 Apr 2009. |