Mae Powell

Laura Mae (Mae) Powell of Cushing, passed away peacefully on November 13, 2025.

Mae was born on May 9, 1927 in Lester Prairie, Minnesota to Ethan and Elizabeth Packer. As a young girl, her family moved to Cushing, where she attended a country school before graduating from Lester Prairie High School. After high school, she worked at Munsingwear and was a proud, lifelong member of the Cushing Willing Workers Club, where she enjoyed helping neighbors and lending a hand wherever it was needed.

On October 19, 1946, she married Robert (Bob) Powell. Together, they made their home in Cushing and welcomed their children, Chriss and Sheila. Mae was a devoted mother, homemaker, and the heart of her family. She was never afraid of hard work. She tended to a massive garden every summer, canned enough food to feed an army, raised and butchered chickens each year, and cleaned lakeside cabins for many years.

Mae was an extraordinary cook and baker. Her home was always open, with an extra plate ready for anyone around at mealtime, or a cup of coffee and a sweet treat. Sunday lunches with family were a tradition, always featuring hearty meals and her fresh-baked bread, followed by one of her wonderful homemade desserts. Her donuts were legendary, disappearing almost instantly at home and at every family gathering. She often claimed her cooking was “not fit to eat,” but the way her food disappeared proved otherwise. She rarely measured anything, simply cooking “until it tasted right,” a skill she lovingly passed down to her daughter and granddaughter.

Mae enjoyed gardening, flowers of all kinds, crossword puzzles, and playing cards and marbles. She was especially skilled and competitive in the marble game Wahoo… unless she was playing with her great-grandsons. Then her skill mysteriously disappeared, and somehow those boys managed to win every single time. Pure coincidence, of course.

Above all, Mae was known for her kindness, generosity, quick wit, and her sense of humor. She had a warm laugh and a way of putting others first. She maintained her independence in her home right up until the very end, a true testament to her strength and spirit. Her greatest pride and joy were her children, grandchildren, great-grandsons, and her great-granddog, Elle Mae.

Mae was preceded in death by her loving husband of 63 years, Robert Powell; her parents, Ethan and Elizabeth Packer; brother, Allen Packer; sister, Betty Loberg; and brothers-in-law, Donald Sharon and Chester Loberg.

Left to cherish her memory are her son, Chriss Powell; daughter, Sheila Powell (Joe); grandchildren, April Powell (Chris), Russell Powell, and David Powell; great-grandchildren, Ethan, Alex, Bobby, and Jake; sister, Annie Sharon; brother-in-law, Morris (Sharda) Powell; as well as many nieces and nephews. She leaves behind a legacy of love, laughter, and family gathered around her table.

Funeral services will be held Tuesday, November 18, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. at Brenny Funeral Chapel in Randall, MN. Visitation will take place Monday, November 17, 2025 from 4–8 p.m. at Brenny Family Funeral Chapel in Randall, and one hour prior to the service.