Lucinda Kay "Cindy" Powell, born July 8, 1972, flew free as a bird from this troubled earthly realm into that Sweet By and By on Monday, May 24, 2021.  She was preceded in death by her precious daddy, Robert Leon Lynch, who was no doubt sitting on the Far Side Banks of Jordan waiting to take her hand.  Left behind to cherish her memory from out of state are her dear sweet mama, Earline Kay Nester Lynch; sister, Shannon Welch; three sons, Jordan Welch, Brandon Welch, Taylor Welch; brother, Robert "Bob" Lynch his wife, Roberta along with her sons, Robbie Martin and Patrick Martin; daughter, Carli Martin.  Left behind to cherish her memory in their Sherwood, Arkansas home filled with love are her husband, Ed Powell and his son, Scott Powell, whom she loved as her own.  Ed was truly the love of Cindy's life.  True soulmates, they literally talked about everything.  Never was she scared to tell him anything during their marriage, with the exception being saying good-bye to this man who was her sweetest love and best friend.  Per her wishes, no funeral service will be held.  In lieu of flowers, those wishing to honor her memory are asked to donate to the The Van in Little Rock, as Cindy held great admiration for their work helping those in need.  For those unable to donate, simply spread as much kindness in this world as possible during your stay here.

Growing up in West Virginia, Cindy never forgot where she came from.  She was just as proud of the photo of her as a barefoot little girl holding a chicken as she was of her hard earned degrees.  For, each came with its own brand of wisdom.  The degrees provided book smarts, but her childhood built her foundation of good old fashioned common sense and a Johnny Cash-esque empathy for the poor and the downtrodden.

She said her beautiful mama was inside the church building any time the doors were open.  She will be proud to know that Cindy did the Lord's work every day.  She started out working as a prison counselor, showing compassion to those who had made mistakes.  Often she would speak about the beautiful artwork these forgotten beings would create, and it helped them remember their humanity.

Her final career was Branch Manager of the Nixon Library in Jacksonville.   Cindy held the library and the surrounding community close to her heart.  When she would see a patron struggling, she would take the time to help them and show them kindness.

I once watched an elderly lady walk in the library with pain and shame in her eyes.  Courageously, she told Cindy that she needed help to send some commissary money to her son in and out of state prison.  She waited for judgement for dismissal.  Instead, Cindy held her hand, helped her order the items (while advising her which items her son would need the most), and blessed her for not giving up on her son.  The lady walked away with relief in her eyes that someone understood.

She once anonymously paid a light bill for a single mother who had been using the computer and was begging the light company for more time.  Then she sent her children some Christmas money.  She went on to help a couple who had been living in a tent (eating dry ramen noodles) get their car repaired and on their way back home to their home state.

If someone needed help with a resume or dealing with complicated government forms, she would make time to help them, even if it was on her own time.  Each Christmas, she would play Mrs. Claus and choose one family who seemed to be struggling the most.  Then, she would donate toys and money to make sure that they didn't have an empty tree.

When some might see a difficult patron, Cindy would see an opportunity.  Many times she would allow them to vent, and had a knack of getting to the root of their anger and pain, alleviating it with her help and kindness.  One of her favorite musicians, Chris Knight, sang the lyrics "hard edges hide a tender heart."  ndy had a strong spirit to look past the hard edges of people and reach the tender heart.

One of her favorite quotes was "People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."  She took that to heart.  She wanted anyone who passed the library to remember they felt safe and cared for there. y was quick to point out her won faults.  One difficulty she one struggled with was patience.  Be careful when you pray for patience because God has a sense of humor.  in her quest for patience, because God has a sense of humor.  In her quest for patience, God sent her a cat.  Kali, a nod to Hoyt Axton's cat named Kalamazoo, devised her first domestic attack by completely shredding and dismantling beyond recognition Cindy's Christmas tree.  Her antics were maddening, then hilarious, and finally patience- inducing.  Their bond grew strong, and Kali longs for her mama, as does Baxter the "good" cat.

Cindy loved True Crime books and enjoyed leading the "True Crime Book Club" at the library.  She truly missed the members when her health led to her retirement.  She mostly enjoyed nonfiction books, feeding her desire to learn about the human condition.  However, i did see her have one children's book that was special to her called Aunt Lucy Buys a Hat.  She told me that her nephews used to call her Aunt Luci, and of course, she loved hats.  Hats were against the dress code, but she certainly wore many figurative hats in over a decade of service at the Nixon Library.

Cindy loved comedians, and she never lost her sense of humor while she was struggling.  Even more so, she loved her music and was like a human SoundHound...Speak a verse and she'll tell you the song.

One of her favorite songs was "That's My Job" by Conway Twitty.  It always made her tear up thinking about her daddy and how he always took care of her, ready to pull her out of any jam.  I believe he will safely escort her to the other side.  I hope that when my time comes, I'll find her waiting, and with her sense of humor still intact, she will ask me for my T.P.S. report for entry.  Until then, there will be a hole in many hearts, grieving for our beloved Cindy.

Cremation services are under the direction of Cremation Services of Arkansas (501)313-5431.