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Hiram Josiah Powell, Jr. went home to be with the Lord on May 24, 2018 at the State Veterans’ Home in Collins, Mississippi. He would have been 96 next month. Hiram was born on June 29, 1922 in Jackson, Mississippi to Hiram J. and Daisy Powell. He grew up in Jackson during the Great Depression, along with his two brothers, Elton and Louis, and his sister, Dorothy. He enlisted in the United States Navy during World War II and served in the South Pacific as an Aviation Radioman in a combat aircrew. For his service, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, as well as a medal for the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign, an American Campaign Medal, and a Philippine Liberation ribbon.
Upon his return from military duty, Hiram worked for the Russell Company as a bookkeeper, and in 1946 he married Ollievette Windom. They had two children, Jeff and Monica. Later, Hiram went to work full time for the Mississippi National Guard, working many years at the U.S. Property and Fiscal Office, where he eventually became the Property and Fiscal Officer. He retired from there in 1978. Upon his retirement from the National Guard, Hiram continued working in other positions in the field of finance.
After the death of his wife, Ollievette in 1986, Hiram engaged in missionary work for the Southern Baptist Foreign Mission Board in Brazil and Tanzania. He also married Shirley Oglesby. Together, they served on the foreign mission field in Zimbabwe, for a time. Later, they retired to Mendenhall, Mississippi. He was an active member of his community and of County Line Baptist Church.
Hiram was preceded in death by his first wife, Ollievette, his parents, Hiram Josiah, Sr. and Daisy Crane Powell, as well as his brother Elton Powell and sister, Dorothy Powell Weisenberger.
He is survived by his wife, Shirley Oglesby Powell, his son Jeff (Mary Ellen) Powell, and his daughter Monica (Todd) Ivey and his grandchildren, Seth (Ashley) Powell, Ben Powell, Nate Ivey, and Erin (Thomas) McCalla. He also is survived by his stepson, Rod (Kim) Oglesby and stepdaughter Therrell Carr, and their children Mallory Dean, Meredith Tackett, Christian Carr, Cade Carr, Walter Oglesby, Rebecca Ann Oglesby, Abby Oglesby, and Katie Oglesby.
Visitation will be on Saturday, May 26 from 9:00-11:00 A.M. at County Line Baptist Church in Mendenhall, with a graveside service at 11:00 at the church cemetery.
