LaVelle J. Powers

Maj LaVelle J. Powers passed away Saturday, April 14, 2018. We will gather for fellowship and remembrance from 6 to 7 PM Wednesday, April 18, 2018, at Lake Ridge Chapel and Memorial Designers. Military honors will be provided at a graveside service for her years of service in the United States Air Force at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, VA at a later date.LaVelle was born on July 13, 1934, to Henry and Alma Ellis Johnson at Holdenville, Oklahoma. She attended Joseph’s School of Nursing Ponca City, Oklahoma. LaVelle worked as a registered nurse anesthetist.  In Houston, Texas on in December of 1968 LaVelle entered the United States Air Force. Her father and both of her brothers were in the military so she had a patriotic background and even as a female was destined to serve her country as well. LaVelle had worked for 11 years at several hospitals in the Houston area, so she was given the rank of Captain, USAF, North Carolina. In 1969, she was assigned to Forbes AFB but her heart was for the servicemen in the Vietnam theatre. LaVelle received orders and was sent to Thailand and was on call for 24 hours a day working as a nurse anesthetist. She served in the Viet Nam theatre for one year. In 1971–72 she witnessed the terrible effects of the war as the POWs were returning from Hanoi. There were protesters and this only affirmed to LaVelle that she had made the right decision in serving her country.LaVelle’s last assignment was Reese AFB and she worked as the only anesthetist and was on call 24 hours a day. She was pleased with this assignments because she met and married Joseph A. Powers, Jr. They had a military wedding in the Chapel on the base.Survivors include her siblings, Vera Shaull, Mary Smith, Charlene West and husband, Johnnie; and Toni Forgash and husband, Don.She was preceded in death by her parents, Henry Edwin and Alma Esta Johnson; and husband, Joseph Albert Powers, Jr.