Erwin Gurney "Win" Powell

Erwin Gurney “Win” Powell, age 96, of Grants Pass, died at home on Thursday, January 16, 2014.

A memorial service will be held at Calvary Lutheran Church on Saturday, January 25th at 11:00 a.m. Hull and Hull is in charge of arrangements.

In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to Calvary Lutheran Church, 909 NE 'A' St., Grants Pass, OR 97526. A private service will be held later at Eagle Point Cemetery.

Win was born on Sept. 3, 1917 in Detroit, Michigan to Clayton Stanley and Grace (Frank) Powell. They moved to Chicago, Illinois when he was young. He graduated from Steinmetz High School and attended the Illinois Institute of Technology for three years before accepting a job at Commonwealth Edison Co. He retired from Edison as an Associate Engineer after 38 years of service, except for a brief period of service in the U.S. Army, where he served as a corporal of a mortar division in Korea.

On July 4, 1953, he married Nancy Gramlich, who survives him. Upon his retirement in 1979, they moved to San Jose, CA and when Nancy retired in 1994, they moved to the Wimer, OR area. In 2006, they moved to Grants Pass, OR.

He was a Scoutmaster, a church youth counselor, president of the Park Forest Earth Science Club, and member of the Santa Clara Gem and Mineral Society, and the United Prospectors, Inc.

He enjoyed gold panning, rock and fossil hunting, traveling, camping, woodworking, and playing games with his family.

In addition to his wife Nancy, he is survived by their children; Kathleen Hess of Frankfort, IL, Brian Powell of Columbia, SC, Beth Christopherson of Rogue River, OR, and Karen Powell of Columbia, SC, four grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren.