An Obituary for Chesta Anna: 100 Years Later
The newspaper article about Chesta Anna’s death simply referred to her as a “negro”, but she was so much more than that to many people. I wrote this obituary for her in 2020, and edited it on the 100th anniversary of her death.
POWELL, Chesta Anna
Chesta Anna Powell, 35, of Hilton, died at her home Wednesday, August 10th, 1921. She was born on July 19th, 1886 in Clay County to Benjamin and Mary Mason Reynolds. She was a farm laborer her entire life, and she taught Sunday School at Friendship Baptist Church in Rock Hill. She married the late Arelius McLendon on July 12th, 1903 and five children were born to this union. She married William Cooper on April 30th, 1911 and was widowed once again. She married Charles Powell on January 5th, 1920. In addition to her parents and her husband, she is survived by her step-mother, Amelia Meffins Reynolds, a son, Bernice McLendon, three daughters, Mary, Bennie Lee, and Annie Mae McLendon, five sisters, Ethel Hutchison (Tyson), Mollie Reynolds, Louise Reynolds, Eva Reynolds, and Iell Reynolds, three brothers, Sylvester Reynolds (Anna), William Reynolds, and Robert Reynolds, six uncles, James Reynolds, William Reynolds, Byrd Reynolds, Sandy Mason, Albert Hanks, and Daniel Hanks, four aunts, Rose Franklin, Lucy Hanks, Ella Holmes, and Hattie Richardson, her grandmother, Matilda Reynolds, four nephews Robert Hutchison, Roy Hutchison, John Reynolds, and Robert Cowart, and two nieces Rose Mae Hutchison and Mary Reynolds. Chesta Anna was predeceased by one child and six siblings. She will be buried at Friendship Baptist Church on August 12th.
