Evening star., 1939-10-20

VVIDIou TIIDII9ICl
OF Mountains Learned
To Love Isolation
Maine Native Found
Western North Corolino
Folk Pioneering
Isolation and solitude are just the
same, whether they be on the rock
bound coast of Maine, where she
was born, or in the mountains OF
Western North Carolina, where she
occupied a pulpit for IS years. ac-
cording to white-haired, motherly
Rev. Hannah Jewett Powell, retired
minister of the Universalist Church
Here for the United Universalist
Convention at the Mayflower Hotel
the 73-year old woman pastor took
time out for an interview to relate
some of the high lights Of an in
teresting, often adventuresome life
Growing up in Waterville and in
Clinton, Me-, Hannah Powell
daughter of a Maine farmer, learned
to love and appreciate isolation.
The mountains and the seacoast
are much alike she declared
speaking from seven years expert
ence as interdenominational worker
of the Seacoast Mission, tour OF
duty that preceded her North Caro-
lima pastorate.
Hannah Powell's first calling was
that OF teacher, and lit was natu-
raj" she said, ito step over and ex-
press myself as speaker in the pull
pit as we'll as the classroom" She
became a full-fedged minister Of
her old New England church after
her graduation from the Tufts Col
lege Divinity School.
Went to Spot Men Avoided.
Men of the ministry didn't care
much for the isolation of the noun.
talns in her own early days in tn,
church. the Rev. Powell related. Sc
she herself accepted an offer to be.
come pastor of Inman's Chapel
Universalist Mission at Sunburst. ii
Pigeon River Valley, near Cantor
and Waynesville, In the Western
North Carolina mountains.
Her arrival at Sunburst-on horse.
back-fulhlled the prophecy Of hel
late predecessor. the famous Rev
James Anderson Inman, pioneer
mountain missionary. who once hao
predicted to his parishoners that 8
woman some day would lead them
He had never seen nor heard O.
Hannah Powell. but he knew, th'
woman minister said, that th'
church was training women for mis-
sionary work.
This made her. she said NORTH
Cardinals first ordained woman
minister. Before going to Sunburst
she presented her ordination paper
to the Attorney General of tina
State and he ruled she could perform
the marriage ceremony and other
wise serve as q minister.
The papers were delayed for {
while" the Rev. Powell recalled
when it was discovered the appli.
cant, myself, was a woman. How.
ever, the Attorney Generals opinion
declared that since I was an ordained
minister the fact 1 was q woman
was nothing against me-"
Then began Is years of vigorou.
activity among the Haywood County
mountaineers. The Rev. Hannah
Powell preached from her chape
pulpit every Sunday, taught nigh,
school, won the friendship of the
natives and gave them counsel. Sh,
organized the parish Sunday school
served her community in other way!
and fought for law enforcement II
the county.
Last summer she returned t.
Inman's Chapel after three years II
retirement and served as supply
pastor for her successor, the Rev
George c. Boorn. BY retirement
she related, she had lost hel
ecclesiastical fellowship in NORTH
Carolina, and therefore Secretary
OF State Thad Eure issued again hel
authority to perform the marriage
ceremony. The Rev. Powell baptized
mountain children, conducted fu'
nerals, married young couples anc
preached again.
Even the sheriff came to sex
me-" she said laughingly. There
were some other law enforcement
officers and county officials, too. WI
are all friends" She pointed to .
wrist watch presented her severa
years ago by the sheriff and other
officials, on whom she often hat
made demands for enforcement oi
certain laws
When the Rev. Hannah Powell
first went into the mountains, she
rode horseback and drove q buggy
She had learned to ride rs a gir.
in Aroostook County, Maine. Last
summer when she returned to Sun.
burst, her old horse, stabbed near
the chapel, whinnied in recogni-
tion.
As for the mountain people, she
described them as pioneer Amer
leans, progressive and responsive X
all that is being done for them
Her night school work lasted until
the Federal Government opened
adult education classes in the area
and then she helped the Govern
ment get started.
The woman minister is not only
Tar Heel North Carolina Yankee
from down East" in Maine, but shs
is q Maine Democrat, which II
something else unusual, and she
praises the Works Progress Admin.
istration for the employment it Il
furnishing In Western North Caro-.
lima.
Al -.~.> -.