Bettelue (Bradley) Powell, age 87 of Butler, Missouri died Monday, April 6, 2026 at Kansas City Hospice House in Kansas City, Missouri. She was born August 13, 1938 to Roy Edward and Betty Lula Baird Bradley in Butler, Missouri. Her favorite pastime as a little girl was helping her daddy do chores and wearing jeans. She loved riding on the back of the plow.
Bettelue attended Butler High School and played girls half court basketball. She did not understand why the girls could not play full court like the boys. Bettelue graduated in 1956 and married Kent Powell that same year. They welcomed two children, Bradley Ray and Kenette Rae.
Bettelue embraced farm life working in the fields, discing and plowing, moving irrigation pipe, even having a tractor named after her, “Miss Bets.” She raised a large garden, cooked fabulous meals, sewed–including suits, formals and Barbie doll clothes–and hand quilted. She never missed one of her kid’s school events. In the early 1960’s she even took time to solo a Cherokee Tri-Pacer airplane. After becoming an empty nester she worked at Thorco for several years.
After retiring from farm life Bettelue enjoyed traveling in the camper, tending to her beautiful flowers and decorating for every season. One Christmas she was awarded “Best Decorated House” in Butler. She also made sure she walked 10,000 steps every day, even walking around the dining table during commercials. Bettelue enjoyed pickle ball and was just learning how to play racquetball. She also loved putting puzzles together, gluing them, then hanging them on her basement wall, a true puzzle gallery. Her granddaughter, Stormy, was her pride and joy. There wasn’t a spare inch in her home that didn’t have a photo or memento of her.
She lived life to the fullest and will be greatly missed!
She is survived by her son, Bradley Ray Powell and wife Debbie of Butler Missouri; daughter, Kenette Rae Lindsay and husband Dennis of Apollo Beach, Florida; granddaughter, Stormy Mikala Lindsay and fiancee Colton Bradley; sister Sue Rebold of Butler, Missouri, her dear aunt, Shirley Hayward; and nieces, nephews and cousins. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Kent Powell; and sister, Marilyn Miller.
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