POWELL, Leon Alton

The Wickenburg Sun, Wickenburg, AZ Wednesday, May 12, 2010, pg A-14 Leon Alton Powell, age 82, died in an accident on May 6. He was born in Wickenburg and was delivered by a midwife in a small house where the Hassayampa School now stands, to parents Alton R. Powell and LoRene (Atkins) Powell on Sept. 25, 1927. He came from an Arizona pioneer family. His great-grandfather William D. Powell, with his family in a covered wagon, drove his cattle fro Kansas and settled a ranch near Flagstaff, now known as the Fox Ranch. Leon was raised in Aguila on his two grandfather's cattle ranches. After serving in the U.S. Navy during the last years of World War II and then drilling wells in Texas, he came back to Aguila and married Virginia Lee Swink. In 1951 and 1952 they had two sons, Leon T. and Stanley A. Powell. During the 1950s, he built, sometimes operated, and sold gas stations. In the 1960s, he worked on road and dam projects all over the western states and as far away as Alaska. In the early 1970s he started his own construction company specializing in federal government jobs. After semi-retiring, he did a lot of hunting and fishing. His favorite playground was around Lake Alamo where he killed a five-point bull elk two years ago. He was a charter member of the Wickenburg Elks Lodge, a member of the Desert Caballeros Honkers Camp, and worked as a wrangler on the DC Ride for many years. He is survived by his wife Arija, her daughter Michelle, her son Michael and her granddaughters Chelsea, Kia, Alicia, and her grandson Shurikin. He is also survived by his son Leon Powell (Jackye), granddaughters Natalie Fraiberg (David), Lisa Jefferson (Mike), grandson Spencer Powell, great-grandchildren Alexandria, Blake, Isabel, Hayley, Evelyn, Dylan, and Lillian. He was preceded in death by his first wife Virginia, son Stanley, and Arija's daughter Nora. Graveside services will be held at the Eagle Eye Cemetery in Aguila on Saturday (May 15) at 10 a.m. (four miles south of Aguila on Eagle Eye Road) followed by lunch at the Elks Lodge in Wickenburg. There will also be a celebration of life at Coyote Flats in Aguila at 6:30 p.m. Friday (May 14). In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations be made in Leon's name to "Friends of Lake Alamo" 30 Howard Court, Wickenburg AZ 85390. Arrangements are by David's Desert Chapel Funeral Home.