Lyda Powless

Lyda Powless, 70, of Great Falls, passed away at sunset on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2013, at Benefis Extended Care in Great Falls after a courageous 16-month battle with cancer. 

Visitation will be held from 9 a.m. to noon on Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2013, at Holland & Bonine Funeral Chapel.  Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2013, at the First Church of the Nazarene, with committal services to follow at Highland Cemetery. 

Holland & Bonine Funeral Home has been entrusted with services and arrangements, and you can leave your memories and condolences at http://www.hollandbonine.com.

  Lyda was born at sunrise on Oct. 20, 1942, in Fort Belknap to Fred and Lucy (Stanley) Huntley.  She was raised at Rocky Boy and attended school in Helena. Following her school years, she married Elmo Bailey Sr. and their union was blessed with three children in addition to Lyda’s daughter whom Elmo loved as his own. The couple later divorced, and Lyda moved to Washington, where she met and married Ralph Powless. While in Washington, Lyda worked as a food processor at Icicle Seafood in Bellingham. Ralph passed away in 1999, and Lyda returned to Montana in 2000, settling in Great Falls to be near the majority of her sisters. 

Lyda was a quiet woman with a dry sense of humor who enjoyed playing bingo and keno, fishing, and spending time with her family, especially her grandchildren. 

  Lyda was preceded in death by her husband Ralph; her daughter, Merceline Quinton; her parents, Fred and Lucy Huntley; her brothers, Henry Four Souls and Joe, Manny and Jimmy Huntley; and her sisters, Isabel Sinclair, Jeanette Brey, Mildred Strong and Pearl Huntley.

  She is survived by her children Jeanette Bailey of Washington, Elmo Bailey Jr. of Great Falls and Clayton Bailey of Big Sandy; her adopted daughter, Elaine (Tiny) Healy-Berger of Havre; her 11 grandchildren; her numerous great-grandchildren; her special friend Leo Weaving of Rocky Boy; her nine sisters, June Cochran of Box Elder, Merceline Leonard and Louise (Myron) Petersen, both of Washington, Mavis (Ted) Weirauch of Nevada, Velma Madla and Avis Chenoweth, both of Havre, Mona Winchell and Joyce Cleavenger, both of Great Falls, and Ethel (Jerry) Artz of California; her brothers, Jess Bahr of Great Falls and Gary Cleavenger of Havre; her special sister-in-law Joyce Huntley of Rocky Boy; and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.