Verona Ida Garrett Powell of St. Anthony died Friday, November 30, 2018, at Homestead Assisted Living of causes incident to her age. She was 90.

Powell was born Nov. 15, 1928, the fifth of seven children of Earl Park Garrett and Ida Green Garrett. She grew up and attended school in St. Anthony. Growing up during the Depression, she learned to work hard, waste not and make do.

She married Rex Floyd Powell on May 11, 1946, in St. Anthony. Their marriage was solemnized in the Idaho Falls LDS Temple on May 11, 1980. Verona was called as ward librarian and remained in that position for 30 years. They lived for two years in Island Park where Rex worked on construction of Staley Springs Lodge and then Sunset Lodge. Verona cooked, cleaned, fed livestock and did whatever else needed to be done at Staley's, and worked in the café at Sunset .

The couple moved to Salt Lake City to help his sister who had been injured in a car accident. Daughter Brenda was born in Utah. When she was only a month old, Rex was called to active duty in Korea, and Verona and Brenda went to live with Earl and Ida for the year Rex was overseas.

After Rex returned home, the couple settled in St. Anthony.

Verona volunteered her time in the community, helping to organize the Pink Ladies Auxiliary at Fremont General Hospital, serving as president. She was an active member of the American Legion Auxiliary and was proud to be the first person to buy stock in a proposed community-owned store in 2006.

Through the years, Verona worked from home, ironing for individuals and businesses. She worked at Birch's Dry Cleaners in St. Anthony and later in Rexburg. At the time of the Teton Dam flood, she was employed at a motel in Rexburg and worked in the cleanup effort.

Rex and Verona were part of a group of friends who played Pinochle, taking turns at hosting the "card night" once a month. Later, the men dropped out, and the girls formed the Who Dealt Club, meeting monthly for years.

After Rex retired, he and Verona traveled throughout the West and bought a travel trailer and spent holiday weekends camping. Their grandkids have fond memories of fishing, building campfires, and roasting hot dogs and marshmallows.

Verona was Rex's co-pilot when he hauled loads for Willmore Lumber throughout Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana.

Family was always important to Verona, and family vacations were usually spent at family reunions. They rarely missed any of their grandchildren's games, concerts or other activities.

Verona cared for Rex when his health began to fail in 2012 and drove daily to Ashton after he was admitted to the Ashton nursing home. Rex died in 2014. They had been married for 68 years.

Always independent, Verona continued to live at home. She gave up her garden but continued to care for her yard and her flowers. She raked leaves and shoveled snow, and acted as chauffeur for her best friend, Gerry Clark.

Verona went to live at Homestead Assisted Living Center in St. Anthony in early 2017.

Verona is survived by daughters Brenda Lobdell of Spokane Valley, Wash., and Cathy Koon of St. Anthony, seven grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, brother, Tharen Garrett of St. Anthony, and sister, Mauna Mabel Shadoan of Townsend, Mont. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Rex, two children, Danette and Bryan, and three brothers and a sister, Grover, Clyde, Cleve, and A'Neal.

Funeral services will be held Wednesday, Dec. 5, at 11 a.m. at the St. Anthony LDS 3 ^rd Ward Chapel, 507 W. 2 ^nd N. The family will receive friends from 10 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. at the church prior to the services.Burial will be in the St. Anthony Riverview Cemetery under the direction of Bert Flamm Mortuary.