Laura Fern (Carpenter) Powers, December 5, 1909-April 3, 2012

Laura Fern (Carpenter) Powers, the oldest living alumni of Wagner High School, died in El Paso, TX on April 3, 2012 at the age of 102 years, 4 months and 1 day.

Fern was born December 5, 1909 to Laura Myrtle (Martin) Carpenter and Clarence Day Carpenter near Plankinton, South Dakota. The family moved to the Wagner area when she was about three years old. She graduated from Wagner High in 1928.

On August 22, 1929 she married Claude Marvin Powers of Delmont, South Dakota. The year before they married she had taught the country school that Claude had attended as a boy. She taught at the same school another two years following her marriage. She returned to teaching country school in 1960 and retired in 1970.

They established their home in Choteau Creek township and lived there for 63 years until Claude's death in 1992. To this union two sons were born, Ronald in 1934 and Dennis in 1946. Fern and Claude were both strong believers in the value of education and imparted that value to their sons, both of whom completed their doctorates.

Fern and Claude belonged to the First Methodist Church in Wagner for many years. She taught Sunday school and was active in the Ladies Aid Society. She was also a life-long member of the Rebecca Lodge in Wagner.

In 1976 they began their life as "snowbirds," spending the winters in Texas and summers on the home farm. Two years after her husband's death she sold the "home place" and spent ten summers at the Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri, where her oldest son owned a condo, and the winters in the El Paso, Texas area where her youngest son lives. From about 2005 until her death she had lived in the El Paso area year round.

Fern and Claude enjoyed dancing, traveling, gardening, and reading. She also was known for her sewing, knitting, crocheting and story-telling. She was an excellent cook and known by her family for homemade bread and pies. Her life spanned from President Grover Cleveland to President Barack Obama -- 18 presidents in all.

She was preceeded in death by her parents, her husband, two half-sisters, Vera Burns and Frances Verzani, and three brothers, Lyle (Ida), George (Kay), and Neil Carpenter (Gloria).

Fern is survived by her two sons, Ronald and wife Myrna of Columbia, Missouri and Dennis and wife Becky of Vinton, Texas; seven grandchildren; Jeanene Skarshaug, Ames, Iowa; Ken Powers, Kansas City, Missouri; Sonya Connolly, Copenhagen, Denmark; Kristin Nowlin, Cape Girardeau, Missouri, Erik Powers, Nunn, Colorado; Jessica Powers Gibson, Livermore, California, and Matthew Powers, Salt Lake City, Utah. She is also survived by 14 great-grandchildren; Austin, Matt, and Zachary Skarshaug; Laura Powers Tegtmeier, Lucas Powers, and Alyssa Powers; Nathan Connolly and Meghan Connolly; Garric Nowlin; Laura, Edith, and Kendra Powers; Nora Powers; and Nesta Dennis Gibson.

Services will be held at a later date.