Cletis Harris Powell was born Jan. 4, 1931 to Joseph Franklin and Effie Mae (Brown) Powell in Diehlstadt, Missouri.
Cletis was the youngest of 13 children weighing 13 lbs, 15 ozs. He departed this life at his son’s home in Oxly, Missouri at the age of 92 years, 28 days at 11:41 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023 with family by his side. He was bound for glory when he accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior at the age of 10 years old.
On Aug. 10, 1951, Cletis and Lutherna Gelene Farmer were united in marriage in Bethalto, Illinois. Together, they raised six children, Daurice Jean, Cletis Wayne, Kenneth Douglas, Ricky Martin, Timothy Lyle and Phillip Edwin.
Cletis joined the U.S. Army serving in France and Germany as a supply handler from April 1952 to March 1954. After his time in service to his country, he came back to their home in Illinois. In 1957, he moved his family to Missouri and in 1958, surrendered his call to the ministry. He served as pastor to multiple churches throughout Illinois, Missouri and Tennessee, his wife faithfully serving alongside him. He was a member of Bays Springs Missionary Baptist Church.
Cletis was a skilled master mechanic and could fix vehicles of any kind but he would be quick to let you know that if you drove any make other than a Ford, you weren’t driving the right one! While maintaining his own mechanic shop at his home, he began working as a mechanic at Bryan Motor Company in Poplar Bluff. Mr. Bryan relied on his expertise to keep his customers satisfied. Cletis’s name as a mechanic was widespread having learned his excellent skills from his brother, Buck who was a master mechanic and welder. His own career as a master mechanic continued, having served as such for the U.S. Forest Service and Job Corp Center of Poplar Bluff until 1970 when the Powells moved to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. There, Cletis continued his ministry as pastor of Wears Valley Baptist Church as well as a heavy equipment mechanic for the Smokey Mountain National Park in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, traveling back and forth from there to Cherokee Village, North Carolina. Cletis retired from the Parks Service in 1973 and moved his family back to Poplar Bluff where he continued his pastoral ministry. He was also instrumental in helping with several tornado relief efforts in Oklahoma. In the 60s, Cletis was blessed with a trip to the Holy Land with his older brother, Arthur. Together, he and his wife owned a successful Shaklee franchise, earning trips and vehicles as a result of their success. Cletis was also a master of all trades, building houses for his family and for others in other parts of Missouri as well as churches in Missouri and Arkansas. In the 80s, he was the host of a gospel message radio program for local radio station KLID in Poplar Bluff. Well known as a singing family, he was most proud of his children when they would gather around the piano together and sing hymns of the faith.
Cletis is preceded in death by his parents, his beloved wife, Gelene of 58 years, all of his siblings, two sons Cletis Wayne and Timothy Lyle.
He is survived by his daughter, Daurice of Seymour, Tennessee; daughter-in-law, Crickett Powell of Naylor, Missouri; three sons, Ken and Cheri of Rogers, Arkansas, Rick and Dianne of Oxly, Missouri and Phillip Edwin of Claremont, North Carolina; 23 grandchildren and 32 great-grandchildren, one brother-in-law Doug Farmer (Shirley) of Illinois and a host of nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be at 11 a.m. Monday, Feb. 6, followed by funeral services noon at Cotrell Willow Ridge Funeral & Cremation Services of Poplar Bluff with Brock Devine officiating. Paul bearers will be Jared Powell, Jacob Powell, Travis Thomas, Jordan Powell, Tyler Powell and Joshua Powell. Honorary pallbearers will be Joshua Reneau, Aaron Sandlin and Robert Gaffigan. Interment will be at Bay Springs Cemetery immediately following the service.