Aavon M. Powers, 97, died April 17, 2020, at Hester Care Center. She was born February 14, 1923, in Garden City, to Lester Layson and Bessie (Pace) Mendenhall.
Aavon graduated from Dodge City High School in 1940, and Dodge City Community College in 1942. She was a Claims Representative for the Hutchinson Social Security Administration. Aavon was a member of Soroptimist International of Hutchinson, State Fair Promenaders Square Dancers, and Grace Episcopal Church, Hutchinson. Aavon loved her family, her church, her many, many friends, flowers, square-dancing, reading, as well as many other activities. She always had a variety of eyeglass frames, one for every possible occasion.
On February 1, 1947, she married the love of her life, LaVern ‘Vern’ Powers in Dodge City. He died March 20, 2014, after sharing 67 years of marriage. His family considered her one of their own and loved her like a sister.
Aavon is survived by: brother, The Reverend Elborn Mendenhall (Burney) of Topeka; nieces, Leslie Friedel (Tim) of Shawnee Mission, Kathy Lentz (Sheldon) of Towson, Maryland; nephew, Mark Mendenhall (Sarah) of Sycamore, Illinois; and great-nieces and great-nephews, Schuyler, Friedel, Chandler Friedel, and Joyce Friedel, and Paul Lentz and Kate Lentz.
She was preceded in death by her parents and a sister, Imogene Powell.
Due to the coronavirus situation, a private funeral will be held at 10:00 a.m. Friday, April 24, 2020, at Grace Episcopal Church, 2 Hyde Park Drive, Hutchinson, with The Reverend Dr. J. Ted Blakley and The Right Reverend Michael P. Milliken, 5th Bishop of Western Kansas (Ret). officiating. The church will live-stream the service on their Facebook page, Grace Episcopal Church, (www.facebook.com/gracechurchhutch).
Burial will follow in Memorial Park Cemetery, Hutchinson. Friends may call from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday at Elliott Mortuary.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Grace Episcopal Church, Cosmosphere International Science in Education Center & Space Museum, or Soroptimist International of Hutchinson, in care of Elliott Mortuary, 1219 N. Main, Hutchinson, KS 67501.
Aavon and Vern are once again dancing together, gracing heaven’s dance floor.