James Howard Powers passed away Jan. 12, 2021, at his home in DeWitt with his family at his side.
James was born March 16, 1928, to Kenneth and Blanche Powers at their home south of DeWitt near Turkey Creek. He was baptized at St. Augustine Episcopal Church with water from the River Jordan with several other infants on May 13, 1929. He grew up fishing and hunting in the area of Turkey Creek and the Blue River. He attended school in DeWitt and finished his high school in Formoso, Kansas, when his father, a Rock Island section foreman, was transferred to Formoso. After high school, he spent several months working on the section out of Formoso.
In 1946, he returned to DeWitt and worked as clerk at the Burlington Railroad office. He spent his spare time learning telegraphy with a great aunt who was an agent and operator for the Rock Island Railroad near DeWitt. After passing the Railroad Agent Rules and Regulations, he began his career as an agent and operator on the Burlington. He worked at stations in Falls City, Bladen, Ong and Ohiowa. In 1951, he joined the army with training at Ft. Leonardwood, Missouri. While at Ong, he met Geraldine (Gerry) Thurin, daughter of Roy and Evelyn Thurin, and before being shipped overseas, they were married at Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Ong nearly 70 years ago. He was sent to Wurtzburg, Germany, for German occupation and was a corporal in the transportation headquarters. In 1953, he returned to Nebraska and was hired as agent and operator at the DeWitt Depot. Much of the work at the time required use of the telegraph and he kept up with his ability to do telegraphy. Petersen Mfg. Co was shipping vice grips over Railway Express, which was part of his work. He was agent for 33 years at the DeWitt station along with Swanton and Wilber during the last years in DeWitt. After the DeWitt station closed, he covered and closed stations on the west branch of the Burlington from DeWitt.
His last station was Beatrice, where he worked as agent the last five years running the business in the Beatrice office and doing the shipping from the plants at Hoag. He retired and closed the station at Beatrice in 1990 after 44 years of railroading. Gerry and Jim were then able to travel to many places including Germany, France, England, Hawaii, Alaska, Canada, Sweden, Russia, the Bahamas and enjoyed taking many bus tours in the United States. James was a member of the DeWitt school board during the organizing of Tri County. He was a member of the DeWitt American Legion for 52 years and received the Quilt of Valor for his service in the military. He liked working outside and going to auctions, to add to his many collections and then being able to share and show them. In his days of growing up, marbles were a favorite boys game and he liked to tell about being marble champion of DeWitt grade school. Some of his friends and family knew him by his nickname of “Hoop.”
Jim and Gerry lived first at the old home place near Turkey Creek and later moved a house from DeWitt to an acreage on the original Hobbs homestead. They are parents of Rhonda (Jon) Vest, Omaha, Randall (Cindy) Powers, Warrensburg, Missouri, and LuAnn Nickel, DeWitt, (and special friend RD Bruha). They have four grandchildren, Tiffani (Brandon) McMann, Jayson (Kirsty) Powers, Erin (Shane) Rhian and Kristin (Mick) Morgan; and 10 great-grandchildren, Gavin, Everett and Mason McMann, Rylie, Cameron, Jayden, Ava and Alex Powers and Josslyn and Harrison Morgan. He leaves to mourn his passing, his wife, Gerry; their children and families; niece, Dianne (Dan) Bruckner; nephew, Kenny Powers and many relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, Willard and Charles Powers; sister, Marlene Powers; son-in-law, Gary Nickel; niece, Karen Wilson; uncle John (Hester) Hobbs; uncle Jerry Powers; grandparents, Chris (Neumann, Hobbs) and Jesse Buss and Clyde and Jo Powers.
A Celebration of Life will be at a later date due to the pandemic. Memorial contributions are suggested to the DeWitt American Legion or DeWitt Fire and Rescue and dropped off at First State Bank in DeWitt, or with the family.
