Chatsworth native Mildred Powell, known for her sense of humor and willingness to help anyone who needed it, passed away Feb. 10, 2023, in Salisbury, N.C. She was 92. She grew up in Chatsworth where as a teenager she met her first husband, Junior Ingle, when he, also a teenager, worked for the Fort Theater on Main Street. Their son, Robert, journalist and best-selling author, also was born in Chatsworth.
Her second husband, James T. Powell, was a Chatsworth native who died in 2007. Her mother, Martha Fortenberry White, passed away in 1993.
Mildred enjoyed church activities, frequently making baked goods. An avid gardener, she shared the bounty with neighbors and friends and canned the rest to give away. A big fan of newspapers, she kept up with current affairs. Her belief in justice and fairness was strong and she practiced the Golden Rule.
A life-long garment industry employee, her last assignment was running the outlet store. At 70, when asked if she ever was going to retire, she said if she did they would close the store and the poor people in the area would never be able to get nice new clothes. She stayed on the job until the plant closed.