Funeral services for Channie Birdell “Birdie” Powell, conducted by the Rev. Joshua Dupree, Jr., were held Monday, August 16, 2010, at Greater Bethel AME Church of Kingstree. Burial, directed by Henryhand Funeral Home, followed at Greenlawn Cemetery. Ms. Powell died Monday, August 9, 2010, at Carolinas Hospital Systems in Florence. She was born January 29, 1947, in Kingstree, a daughter of the late Rev. David and Alma Scott Powell. She was a member of Greater Bethel AME Church of Kingstree. She was educated in the public school system in Williamsburg County, where she graduated from Tomlinson High School, class of 1964. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Benedict College in 1968, and was employed by the Williamsburg County School system for several years, where she taught business courses at Cades High School. She relocated to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where she taught in the Philadelphia School System and later headed the School of Business at the renowned Opportunity Industrial Centers (OIC) Technical Training School, a program founded by Dr. Leon Sullivan. For 12 years she lead Philadelphia individuals into a new world of business career skills through her teaching and leadership. She also worked as an administrative liaison for the United States Government in the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) for many years. She joined the staff of Williamsburg County Library where she started several program such as “Story Time” and other educational programs. Her pet program was the creation of the Williamsburg County Book-mobile, which was started in the early 1980s. She was affectionately known as the “Library Lady.” In 2004 she received her Master’s degree in Counseling from Webster University College of Arts and Science, while working at Waccamaw Mental Health Center of South Carolina as a supervisor, where she remained until her retirement in 2009. Survivors are: one son, Christopher Powell; and four sisters, Georgetta Brown of Charleston; Naomi Ingram (James) of Mount Vernon, New York; Louise Fulks (John) of Williamstown, New Jersey; and Willa Powell of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.