The Pastoral Staff at Uptown Community Church in Carlotte has provided the following information on Aimee Elisabeth Powell’s funeral plans. Aimee’s immediately family has arrived from Taiwan and is thankful to be together as they turn to the Lord and walk through this challenging time. Here are the updates we have at this time.

Visitation – The Powell family will be receiving guests from 6:30-9pm on Tuesday January 26, at McEwen Funeral Home (5716 Monroe Rd., 28212).

Memorial Service – The memorial service for Aimee Powell will be held at 10:30am on Wednesday January 27 at Uptown Church.

Powell Family Memorial Fund- A memorial fund has been set up for those who would like to make donations in memory of Aimee to be used by the Powell family. If you would like to contribute, make checks out to Uptown Church, and please write “Powell Family Memorial Fund” in the memo line. Checks can be sent to the church (926 Elizabeth Ave., Suite 200, Charlotte, NC 28204) Please note: these donations will not be tax deductible as they will provided directly to the family.

Please continue to pray that the God of all comfort (2 Cor 1:3-4) would be glorified through this tragic situation, and that in the midst of it He would comfort the hearts of His people.

Original Story: An elementary teacher at a Charlotte area Christian school has died from injuries sustained in a head-on crash in Huntersville (NC) early Thursday morning. Aimee Elisabeth Powell is the daughter of Scott and Leslie Powell, missionaries serving with Send International in Taiwan and was an active member of the Uptown Church, PCA in Charlotte.

The accident occurred on Highway 73 at about 7:15 a.m. Powell was traveling west on Highway 73 near Beatties Ford Road and a second vehicle, a truck, was traveling in the opposite direction when their vehicles collided.

Powell, an elementary teacher at Southlake Christian Academy, suffered critical injuries and was transported to Carolinas Medical Center. Sources say she died Thursday night. Powell was less than a quarter mile from the school when the accident happened.

The other driver suffered serious injuries and was taken to Presbyterian Main in Charlotte. As of Friday morning, he was still hospitalized.

Police said there were no passengers in either vehicle. Witnesses told police both vehicles were traveling approximately 55 mph when the truck crossed the centerline striking Powell’s vehicle. Police said there is no indication that alcohol or drugs were a factor in the crash, and it does not appear the second driver was texting prior to the crash.

Powell was active in Uptown Church, a congregation of the Presbyterian Church in America, located in Charlotte. A friend of Aimee’s reported in an email to her parents last night that 5 or 6 of the young teachers at the school at active at Uptown so it will have a strong impact on that congregation.

Upton Assistant pastor Dave Kulp said Powell grew up in Taiwan where her parents were missionaries. He explained that parents got on a flight from Taiwan late Thursday night. Kulp said Powell will be missed. “Aimee stands out as a beautiful person who loved the Lord, who loved kids,” he said.

Kulp said friends and co-workers of Powell’s are finding comfort in the fact that she was a Christian.

“The Good Shepherd knew her by name,” Kulp said. “She knew his voice and now she’s in a place with no more tears. She has eternal life and that’s the most comforting thing.”

Powell graduated from Columbia International University in Columbia, SC, and she was hired by Southlake Christian Academy in 2007.

According to Channel 3 TV in Charlotte, the Headmaster of Southlake related what Powell has said during the hiring process: “I have had a love for children and teaching since I can remember. As a girl, I helped with summer Vacation Bible School and taught my Chinese friends English weekly. In high school, I was a teacher’s aid in kindergarten, third and fifth grades. Most of my summers during college were spent tutoring Chinese students who struggled with English. It was at that time that I saw my love for teaching children increase. Each day was a new day to model Jesus for my students, and I saw it as a ministry.”

The Charlotte Observer reports that Students, staff and parents prayed during the day on Thursday, prior to her death, for Powell’s recovery. One parent, Mary Whisenant, told WCNC-TV, “We love you, Ms. Powell. May God be with you.”

Powell is survived by her parents, Scott and Leslie, and by three siblings; Trevor, age 24, Daniel, age 23, and Alison, age 20. Her parents are both alumni of Columbia Bible College (now known as CIU) and Scott attended seminary there as well. They have been in Taiwan since 1985, just a few months after Aimee’s birth.

We will update the story as more information comes, particularly concerning funeral/memorial services.

Editors note: Some information in this story was drawn from an online story from WVTV, Channel 3, in Charlotte.

[Editor’s note: One or more original URLs (links) referenced in this article are no longer valid; those links have been removed.]