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In Loving Memory of Mildred Mary Powell
On Wednesday February 26, 2003, an estimated 130 people gathered to celebrate her life and honour her memory as a godly woman who accepted Christ as Saviour at the age of four and loved and served Him throughout her long life.
Mrs Powell had survived her late husband Stanley Lewis Powell by almost four years.
15/03/1911 - 21/02/2003
Eulogy: Given at the funeral (26/02/03) by daughter Ruth Buckley (nee Powell).
In Loving Memory of Mildred Mary Powell
15/03/1911 - 21/02/2003
Mum was born on 15th March 1911, in Cardiff, South Wales. She was the eldest of six children, four girls and two boys and has outlived them all except one sister in the UK. Mum had a genteel background, raised by her grandparents. Her parents lived with them until their second child was born and they moved into their own home, leaving little Millie while they settled. Mum recalled a happy childhood even though it was spent apart from her parents and siblings, who all followed in quick succession.
It was at a very early age that she came to understand the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, as a Salvation Army lady while on holiday explained it to her. She simply accepted the fact that the Bible said she was a sinner and needed a Saviour. She often recalled the inner peace she experienced, a peace which was to last her entire life long, through all its ups and downs.
Mum enjoyed learning, She did very well at school and loved the finer arts of crochet, tatting, embroidery, sewing and music, Sewing kept clothes on our backs and music a song in our hearts, She played the violin, piano and accordion and taught piano. She never went out to work but was companion to her grandparents who retired from the city to the beautiful Wye Valley. It was there that she met Dad, who had come from a very different background, at the small Pentecostal Chapel called "Bethel" in Tintern. They married in 1934 when she was 23. I was born in 1936 and my brother Philip in 1939, during the uncertainty of war.
Eventually, because of my father’s farming background he was not conscripted to war, but was commandeered by the war agricultural committee. We were sent to a derelict manor farm where prisoners of war from Germany and Italy were truck loaded each day. Dad had to oversee their day’s work on the farm, potato planting etc. These times must have been so very hard for Mum, without any modern conveniences whatsoever, and I mean whatsoever. She was now caring for her grandmother as well as her two children in a very remote area where there was no transport. Despite all this, we were nurtured by example in the ways of God. Our prayers were said at Mum’s knee every evening. The first prayer of my own that I recall was when bombs were falling and we were sheltering under the table.
After the war, life went back to normal and we moved to a nearby town where Mum and Dad pioneered a church. Dad supported us by working on local farms. It was during this time in 1946 that our youngest brother, David was born. We moved to NZ in 1951 where Dad assisted at the AOG Bible College in Wellington. He eventually moved into pastoral work, firstly in To Awamutu, then Lower Hutt, where Mum was also accredited as an AOG Minister. Mum was honoured last year as the oldest retired minister of the AOG in NZ. From Lower Hutt they moved to pastor the Palmerston North Church and in 1961 returned to the UK to Chesterfield Assembly. Within 2 months of their return, they faced the tragic death of their son, our brother, David, aged 15. This naturally took a huge toll on Mum, but although in the deepest of grief she never once asked "why" or blamed God. I can recall saying that their attitude at that time was their crowning act of example. They returned to NZ in early 1967 and pastored Picton AOG until 1973. It was during this time that Mum and Dad, enjoyed so much the early childhood of our sons. We cannot measure their input into our sons’ lives. From 1973 to 1975, Dad and mum pastored the Tuakau AOG, then returned to the UK where they spent a year or so enjoying the Philip and Kathleen Powell grandchildren and ministered around the area. They returned to us in Blenheim in 1976 and semi retired while still engaged in support ministry in the South Island. In 1982, they joined Philip and family, who had moved from the UK to Australia and were pastoring in rural Victoria. They returned to us in NZ in 1988.
Mum never failed in her support of Dad in the ministry, at the same time being an able teacher and expounder of God's Word. She delighted in the scriptures, which indeed was a living word to her. She and Dad took God seriously. We never received mixed messages from either or them. They did not live by materialistic values. Mum loved nice things and if they came her way, she enjoyed them. She also made them and did her best to make them happen whenever she could.
1 recall hearing Mum being asked what she thought was the greatest thing in life. She replied without hesitation, "To love and serve God and bring up a family to do the same". We do not wish to paint a picture of a perfect lady; she would not agree with that; but a picture of one who was real and true; one who had “laid hold upon ONE who is mighty".
Mum spent her last four and a half years living with us. She taught us how to live and how to die.
“God is good" is the scripture that I kept quoting to her as I stroked her head in hospital. The scripture on our calendar for today has that very verse, which goes on to say, "He protects those that trust in Him". That says it all.
Our heartfelt thanks go to so many, especially to our precious family here and overseas.
In Loving Memory of Dora Annie Kidd
09/06/1913 - 27/07/2002
Eulogy: Given at the funeral (02/08/02) by daughter Kathleen Powell (nee Kidd)
Dora Annie Lowe was born on the 9th of June 1913 to Sarah and Charles Lowe in Audenshaw, near Manchester in Lancashire, England. She was the 6th of eight children -- 4 boys and 4 girls.
She often told the story of first hearing the message of salvation when a preacher by the name of Pastor Adcock regularly stood alone in the street where she lived and faithfully preached the Gospel in the open air. That man may never have known that a little 10 year old girl, inside her home, was listening to his message, a message that stayed with her until later in life when she made her commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ.
During her teen years she attended Red Hall Methodist Church in Audenshaw, Lancashire, where she participated in the Girl Guides and Ranger programme. She also enjoyed cycling and would tell of the long countryside rides with a cycling club with which she was associated.
Dora left school aged 14 years and went to work at Robert Nobletts a nearby leather factory. It was there that she met James Kidd. They married on the 27th March 1937. In 1939 war broke out and as for so many in the UK it became a time of separation when husbands were called away to fight for their country. The policy of the factory was not to employ married women so Dora had to find alternative work. During the war years she became a projectionist at the local cinema.
Their first daughter, Sheila Jean was born on April the 4th 1943. Their second daughter Kathleen was born on the 5th of October 1946.
Dora was a wonderful mother and friend. Most of her married life she was secularly employed, not for material gain but out of necessity. She worked very hard and we, her daughters respected her resolve to help provide for family needs.
She was a very generous person, who seeing the needs of others would give at times leaving herself with very little. She taught us that material things never bring happiness and to know the difference between needs and wants.
It was about 1954 that she started to attend Bethel Pentecostal Church in Droylsden, Manchester, where she gave her life to the Lord Jesus. She was never a platform person but faithfully and quietly served her Lord and Master in being available to do any job from cleaning the church building to fill in pianist. She hardly ever missed a meeting walking the three kilometres to Church and three kilometres back home through all sorts of weather -- rain, hail, snow and the occasional sun!
| "The Lord Jesus was her reason for living." |
Dora and Jim retired to Prestatyn, North Wales in 1977. Jim passed away in March 1982.
In 1989 Dora had a stroke and was brought by Philip and Kathleen to Adelaide, Australia in 1991 to live with them and later to accompany them to New Zealand in 1992, where they lived until June 2000 when the family moved to Brisbane.
The last months have been very difficult with Mum's physical and mental health deteriorating, but we praise the Lord for His goodness and provision. His mercies are new every morning.
A child of God has finally arrived home.
Dora Kidd is survived by her daughter Sheila, son-in-law Chris and their daughter Stephanie married to Rob and their children Georgia and Benjamin and daughter Joanne married to Andrew and children Faye and Lydia in England; and by her daughter Kathleen and son-in-law Philip and their sons Stephen, Jonathan, and David married to Melisa and children Aaron and Michael and daughter Amanda married to Jeff and children Joshua, Amy and Izack, in Australia.
Her brother Colin 83 years of age lives in Prestatyn, North Wales, UK.
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