Esther June (Powell) Best

March 24, 2023

Esther June (Powell) Best passed away on Friday, March 24, 2023 at the age of 92 from natural causes. June is preceded in death by her father Theodore Sylvester Powell, her mother Nettie Gertrude (Hamm) Powell, and her stepmother Mabel Anne (Lewis) Powell; her husband Morris Carlton Best and her three children Allen Wayne Best, Patricia Elaine Reddick, and Marilynn Sue Culbreth. She is also preceded in death by her son-in-law Dr. Eddie Joe Reddick. June is survived by her son-in-law Henry Allen Culbreth and granddaughters Kimberly Suzanne Clark (Blane), Neely Nicole Ciarcia, Emily Sue Woods (Ethan), Natalie Jane Culbreth, Alecia Balduf (Shane), Katrina Gray (Kona), and Helena Fischer (Steve). She is also survived by great-grandchildren Amelie, Mikey, Wyatt, Jeff, Caragh, Emmett, Riley, Kaila, Corinne, and Colette.

June was born in Hutchinson, Kansas with “a delicate constitution” and unknown but serious health issues. Her mother had a strong faith and was a fighter, and she was determined to keep June alive. June was given Ovaltine to “build up her health,” even though Ovaltine was too expensive for the rest of the family to drink. She was treated differently than her other siblings, giving her more periods of rest and less household responsiblities. Many times in her childhood she was not expected to live. But despite health issues, June was an easy going and happy child who always “went with the flow.” In the end, she outlived her parents and all four of her siblings and their spouses.

After years of debilitating illness throughout June’s young childhood, her biological mother died of Hodgkin’s disease - which was untreatable at the time. June was just eight years old. Her father and her Aunt Clara (along with other family members) helped the family during this time. Life was difficult in many ways, and the family was very poor, but her family was also rich in many ways. She had multiple family members living together or nearby, and the family had many friends; there were flowers planted in the backyard; her mother made their clothes by hand or with a sewing machine, cooked them warm bread, and read to them; her father had a robust garden and took them hunting and fishing and made things for them out of junk wood; and she and her siblings had great imaginations so that every activity or free moment became something fun - especially when they were outside. More than anything, the family was filled with love and care for each other, the world around them, and anyone they happened to meet.

June’s other mother Mabel married her father when June was eight and was lovingly called Mom by all of the children. Mabel was an ordained minister in the Church of God and helped instill strong faith in God and a desire to help others in all of the Powell children. Mabel’s most prominent characteristics June inherited - and still seen in our family today - are a love of cooking, spreading beauty in the world with gardening, making homemade cards, and spending time with our faith. When Mabel’s health declined late in her life, June moved her stepmother and father into her own home which already housed her husband and three teenagers. Eventually, she built an apartment for them connected to her house. June was the primary caregiver for both her parents until their dying days.

June’s own married life mimicked the family of her childhood. She met her future husband Morris in a church parking lot and knew instantly he was The One. With her parents’ blessing, she eloped at 18. June and her husband struggled with making enough money, but June was an expert at pinching pennies and finding the best deals - including once on a house! June and Morris spent much of their married life in a house on manmade Spring Lake in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. They gardened, fished, picniced, sat on the dock, enjoyed canoe rides, camped, swam, and made lifelong friends. They also started the first Church of God in Pine Bluff - just like June’s parents started the first Church of God in Hutchinson, Kansas - and held church services in their living room before a church was erected.

June and Morris were completely in love. They were kind to each other. They had fun and laughed together. They enjoyed their active lifestyle and also the quiet moments sitting on the porch with coffee in hand. They joyously brought three children into the world, and their world then centered on those children. June was especially grateful for her children as she had struggled with miscarriages, difficult births, and major health issues during her childrens’ first weeks of life. Her arms were always open for a hug, and her heart was always willing to share a little extra time and attention. She taught her children by example, and they each treasured the mother they had been blessed to have.

After the children grew up and Morris retired, the couple moved to a house on Lake Hamilton near Hot Springs, AR and spent their days building a warm and welcoming paradise lovingly called “The Best Nest.” They had an open door policy for family and friends - and even the stray dog or cat. Birds, fish, deer, and racoons all found a yard filled with everything they could need to survive. June and Morris were avid gardeners, and the yard was awash with beautiful colors and deep evergreens with the lake as a shimmering backdrop. They loved to entertain and filled the house with family, friends, and anyone else who wished to come along. June’s children and grandchildren (and many other family members) were always welcome to bring friends with them when they visited. By the end of the trip, these new friends would consider themselves as “formally” adopted by June and Morris.

June did not enjoy cooking for the most part, but cooking was always the highlight of any trip to visit her. June’s hushpuppies and fried catfish were famous, and she always had sweets - especially tootsie rolls and chocolate - scattered into every room of the house. June loved a snack of homemade popcorn and chocolate in the evening. She also loved coffee first thing in the morning and at any other point in the day. Besides chocolate and coffee, salt was her favorite “food” - so much so that one Christmas she received present after present of tiny little salt shakers, no pepper shakers, just salt shakers.

June and her husband Morris are remembered as completely selfless givers. They gave freely of their time, physical labor, food, money, and of course love. Once, family arrived to celebrate Christmas and found June and Morris had invited a young girl and her newborn to join the family and stay with them through the holidays. The girl had been kicked out of her own house for the pregnancy, and she lived with June and Morris temporarily while she reorganized her life around this new reality. Family, friends, and strangers alike were treated with respect and kindness.

June is remembered as a strong woman of faith and prayer, a kind listener and supporter, and a mischievous soul with an infectious laugh. She was gentle and loving but also tenacious and feisty when the circumstances dictated it. She never let her own poor health, difficult life circumstances, or chronic pain change her positive outlook on life nor disrupt her from enjoying her life to the fullest. She counseled many family members and friends when they experienced physical or emotional trauma. June amazed family and friends with her intuitiveness and knowing just when someone was in need. She was the most constant and steadfast support to her children, grandchildren, and nieces and nephews when they experienced deaths, disease, divorce, and other life changes. June always had time to sit and talk with anyone who needed to be heard or wanted advice. Her office was the porch swing overlooking the lake. You were invited to sit by her side and were given a fresh cup of coffee, a warm smile, and gentle understanding and encouragement. Many people remember exactly what she said to them during times of crisis and hold those words dear to this day.

June spent the last years of her life at NHC Place in Cool Springs where she developed dear friendships, provided much laughter, and supported residents and staff alike. She was even featured in marketing materials for NHC! She beautified her apartment and “her” courtyard with rose bushes, flowering plants, hanging baskets, heirloom plants carried from her own garden in Arkansas, garden statues, bird feeders, and a bird bath. Her love of people and nature continued until her last days, which she spent with her granddaughters and with the loving support and kindness of NHC staff who had by then become family to her.

Those who knew June know that no amount of words or length of obituary could encapsulate all she was to her family, her beloved friends, and to this Earth. She left an indelible mark on everyone and everything she touched. She will live on in our memories but also in the ways she changed and enriched our lives, in how we parent our children and love our friends, in the ways we enjoy the natural world, in the way we experience our spiritual life, and in the joy and beauty we allow into our lives each day