Mavis Hollingsworth Powell was born October 3, 1921 to Pearl (a.k.a Pearlie) and Ernest Hollingsworth in Orange, Texas. She married Joseph (a.k.a. Joe) Mulford Powell of Beaumont, Texas in 1941, and soon after marrying, Joe left for the Pacific theater to serve in the Air Corps during World War II. is was the only time Mavis and Joe did not eat lunch together in their 50 years of marriage.
Mavis learned the art of cooking from her mother Pearlie during The Great Depression of 1929-1939. The Hollingsworth’s home became a “marked house.” “Hobos” of the time used a series of drawings or symbols to mark areas around homes that were friendly (or not so friendly), signaling to fellow hungry travelers places where they could find food or rest. A bench was set up under a shade tree in their backyard and Mavis would watch her mother serve up bowls of soups, stews, or whatever was bubbling on the stove top. This is where her passion for cooking and serving others was born.
In 1948, Mavis, Joe, and daughter Janis moved to Monroe, Louisiana where daughters Nancy and Holly were born. While living in Monroe, Mavis became active in civic, charity, church, school, and social organizations. It was also the place she merged her art of cooking with her gift of hosting. If anyone lived up to the term “the hostess with the mostess,” it was surely Mavis.
Upon returning to Orange, Texas in 1959, Mavis joined many organizations, often becoming the first woman asked to serve on the Board of Directors. One of her proudest achievements was serving as the first President of Heritage House Museum in Orange. In 1977, the 1902 J.O. Sims house was saved from demolition, and as president, Mavis secured the grants necessary to create a historical museum of optimum quality.
Mavis hosted many parties and fundraisers over the years, but the most memorable were after theatre parties for the likes of Bob Hope and Liberace when they brought their acts to the Lutcher Theater, a 1,500 seat performing arts center in Orange, Texas.
Mavis moved to Dallas, Texas in 1999. She had three daughters (Janis, Nancy, and Holly), three grandchildren (Shannon, Ryan, and Daniel), and four great-grandchildren (Zach, GG, Marinn, and Mikaela).
Mavis passed away peacefully at the age of 95 on August 12, 2017 knowing her life-long dream of writing her cookbook had become a reality.