Laura E. Powers
Squires, MO

Laura E. (Briscoe) Powers, 98 years, 11 months and 13 days old, passed on to new adventures on March 4, 2016 surrounded by her loved ones. Laura was born on March 22, 1917 in Brownfield, Texas to John and Mae (Stockton) Smith.

Laura and Chester W. Briscoe were united in marriage on January 19, 1938 in Visalia, CA. To this union four children were born. As newlyweds, the couple began their life together mining gold in northern California.


During WWII Laura was a welder employed in building ships in the Portland, Oregon shipyards. In addition, she worked as a chauffeur for military personnel at Camp Beale, California. In 1953, Laura and Chester and their young family moved to Douglas County, Missouri, and began a dairy farm. For the next twenty years they farmed and raised their family near Squires, Missouri. After Chester passed on in 1973, Laura worked for Chastain's Nursing Home in Ava for a number years as a nurse's aide and later as the Activities Director. She loved her work and greatly enjoyed working with the elderly. Afterward she maintained a group home for disabled adults. Throughout her life, Laura was an ardent Christian and a member of The First Church of Christ, Scientist.


Laura was preceded by her husband, Chester Briscoe, and by her late husband, Ira (Bus) Powers; by her parents; by her brothers Garland, Glen, Bob and Charlie Smith; and by her sisters Hazel Stiles and Ann Strickland. Laura is survived by Lita and Eric Modell, Squires, MO; by Martha Eisenhour, Fulton, MO; by Annabel (Ann) and Lloyd Huguenin, Ava, MO and by Sidney Briscoe and Jennifer Nye, Jacksonville, FL. She is also survived by 5 grandchildren, 8 great grandchildren and several great greatgrandchildren as well as many nieces, nephews and a host of other relatives and friends.

Cremation services are being conducted by Clinkingbeard Funeral Home in Ava, MO with a memorial service on Saturday, March 19, 2016 at 2:00 P.M. Online condolences may be made to www.clinkingbardfuneralhome.com.