Ilene (Yanke) Powell, 82, Pleasant Hill, Ore.
Ilene Faye Yanke shared a birthday with the state of Minnesota, albeit 85 years apart. Born on May 11, 1943, in the family farmhouse near Blooming Prairie, she made her mark at a young age – tiny but feisty – and very much her own person.
The fourth of six children, she had the dubious honor of following two older brothers who out of necessity became her playmates, referring to herself and them as “us boys.” That’s probably why she was so tough and so very athletic – even her brothers declared her the best first baseman the Newry Neighbors 4-H team ever had. She was also an excellent student, graduating from Blooming Prairie High School with honors in 1961. Her scholastic and athletic skills, along with her feisty competitive nature, led her to Mankato State College where she completed a BS degree in Physical Education/Health within three years.
Her first teaching job was in Redwood Falls, Minn., then on to Pueblo, Colo., for several years until making a big leap to Ramstein Air Base in Germany where she taught dependents of the U.S. Defense Department stationed there. It was a fortuitous leap in a number of ways: it was the travel and teaching experience of a lifetime; she made lifelong friends with other teachers; and it was there she met and married a fellow teacher, Thomas Powell, her husband of more than 50 years.
Shortly after their son Todd was born, the young family opted to move back to the U.S., settling in Oregon where Tom continued his teaching career, and Ilene focused her attention on home and family. Their son Gavin was born a few years later. Raising two active boys did nothing but enhance Ilene’s athletic prowess. She had “the competitive spirit of a lion” according to the boys and was their number one fan, supporter, practice partner and coach.
As her boys grew older Ilene launched a second career, co-founding and operating Plant Fashions, a highly successful greenhouse enterprise featuring stunning floral displays and a solid reputation for quality products. After 25 years she decided it was time to sell the company and focus more on being “Nana,” playing tennis, enjoying reunions with their Germany teacher friends, traveling more with family, and tending her beautiful gardens.
She was extremely proud of her family and instilled in her boys, and later her grandchildren, valuable life lessons: work hard, play fair, fulfill your commitments, care for others, be kind, and if something is worth doing, by all means do it with passion!
Ilene passed on March 5, 2025, but her energetic spirit and loving nature live on. A Celebration of Life was held in Ilene and Tom’s backyard in Pleasant Hill, Ore., on June 7, 2025. The sun was shining, the grass was green, the flower beds were in bloom, and loved ones were together.
Ilene leaves behind her husband Tom, sons Todd (April), Gavin (Kelli), grandchildren Brook, Hayden, Chase, Samantha and Jake, a brother James Yanke (Barb), sister Diane (Yanke) Moser and a number of nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by parents Ernest and Alice Yanke, her brother Roger and sisters Eunice and Janice.