Southampton County Virginia USGenWeb Archives Obituaries.....Powell, Robert H. Sr., 1951 
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ROBERT HENRY POWELL

BOYKINS BANKER SUCCUMBS AFTER LENGTHY ILLNESS

PROMINENT CHURCHMAN HAD BEEN HEAD OF MEHERRIN VALLEY BANK FOR PAST QUARTER OF 
CENTURY

   Robert Henry Powell, Sr., 90, president of the Meherrin Valley Bank since 
1927, died at his in Boykins at 5 o’clock Saturday afternoon, July 28, after an 
illness of several months.

   Son of the late Littleton Green Powell and Bettie Kirk Powell of the Hebron 
community, he had resided in Boykins since he was 17 years of age, transferring 
his membership from the Hebron Baptist Church to the Boykins Baptist Church.  
Of the latter he was a faithful member throughout the remainder of his life, 
having been a Deacon during practically all of his membership as well as 
serving his church in various other official capacities.

   On the organization of the Meherrin Valley Bank in 1902 Mr. Powell was 
elected its vice president, advancing to the presidency in 1927. He was 
believed to be one of the oldest, if not the oldest, active bankers in the 
country.  He was an interested participant in the civic, benevolent and 
religious affairs of his town and county.

   Surviving are his wife, Mrs. Pearl Adkerson Powell of Boykins; a son, Robert 
Henry Powell, Jr. of Franklin; three daughters, Mrs. W. Harmon Prillaman of 
Bassett, Mrs. S.P. Johnson, Jr. of Petersburg and Mrs. George W. Harding of 
Roanoke Rapids, N.C.; eight grandchildren; and a brother, W. Lee Powell of 
Newport News.

   Funeral services for Mr. Powell were conducted Monday afternoon at 3 o’clock 
at the Boykins Baptist Church with Rev. N.B. Habel, pastor of the church, 
officiating assisted by Rev. Frank B. Handley of Crewe, a former pastor, 
accompanied by Mrs. Earl W. Bryant at the organ, the choir sang "Leave It There" 
and Mrs. H.F. McCoy sang "Sunrise." The casket was covered by a pall of lilies 
and white roses.  The floral tributes were numerous; and there was an unusually 
large attendance at the last rites.

   Burial was in Beechwood Cemetery. The active pallbearers were Wilson W. 
Barnes, H.G. Coleman, Raleigh L. Drake, Paul Camp Marks, John Y. Mason, Jackson 
M. Powell, William A. Powell and Hinton T. Smith. Honorary pallbearers were 
members of Mr. Powell’s Sunday School class and the Board of Deacons of the 
church.


[Robert Henry POWELL, Sr., 28 Jul 1951, age 90, 
 interred in Beechwood Cemetery, Boykins, 30 Jul 1951, 
 "The Tidewater News" (Franklin, VA), obit dated 3 Aug 1951] 

[file transcribed by Mrs. Bruce Saunders (bs4403@verizon.net), 
 and re-formatted by File Manager.]