Obituary of Clair A Powers

Clair A. Powers, 89, longtime resident of Iowa City, died Saturday, March 26, 2016, in Colorado Springs where he has been living to be near his daughter. Funeral services will be held at 11am Saturday, April 2, 2016, at Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service, with burial to follow at Memory Gardens Cemetery where military honors will be provided. Visitation will be from 3 to 7 pm Friday and after 9:30 am until services Saturday at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers memorial donations can be made in his memory to Mercy Hospital Foundation. Online condolences may be sent for his family through the funeral home website @ www.gayandciha.com. Clair Ambers Powers was born April 12, 1926, in Iowa City the son of Lewis A. and Wilhelmina E. (Wieske) Powers. He attended Iowa City schools, graduating from City High School with the Class of 1944, and later from the University of Iowa with his Bachelor of Arts Degree. During WWII, after graduation from high school, he enlisted in the United States Navy, where he served for two years. In 1950, he became one of the first group of men drafted from Johnson County, Iowa and served in the United States Army for two years during the Korean War. On June 27, 1951, he married Louise M. Sorensen in Iowa City. Clair worked for the former Iowa State Bank & Trust Company (now MidWest One Bank) for many years retiring as a vice-president in 1991. He was a lifelong and active member of the First United Methodist Church in Iowa City, also belonged to the Elks Lodge and the American Legion. Clair was an avid University of Iowa Hawkeye fan and attended many Hawkeye wrestling meets as well as other Hawkeye sports. His family includes his daughter, Mary Beth Powers of Colorado Springs; sister, Wilma Gower of Hattiesburg, MS; sisters-in-law, Helen "Parky" Sorensen of Hills; Leona Pelechek of Marion, Lois Seemuth (Bob) of Iowa City, and Jane Sorensen of South Pasadena, CA; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, wife, Louise in 1992; and siblings, Lewis, John, Vern, Russell, Evelyn, and Lester.