Born on March 11, 1900, in Calvary, Ky., Elizabeth was the daughter of John and Mary Thomas Powell. She attended Mount Saint Joseph Academy in the years 1910-1916. When Bettie finished the ninth grade, she entered the novitiate on July 16, 1916. She received the Ursuline habit and the name Sister Athanasius on October 24, 1916.
In 1917, Sister Athanasius was missioned to St. Denis School in Shively, Ky., teaching grades one through four for four years. She then spent seven years in Nebraska teaching at Snyder, Bow Valley and Nebraska City. In 1930, she was sent to Wilhelmina, Mo., for two years; Jeffersonville, Ind., for one year; Knottsville, Ky., for a year; then back to Jeffersonville for a year. She came back to Kentucky and taught at Boone’s Mill; St. Joseph in Owensboro; Earlington, and Mayfield. In 1946, she was missioned to Plattsmouth, Neb., for a year. She was then missioned to Stanley, Princeton, Lyndon, St. Francis, Hardinsburg, Owensboro (St. Pius X, Immaculate and Blessed Mother), Holy Cross, Flaherty, Princeton, and Louisville (St. Ignatius), Ky. Sister retired from full-time teaching in 1970 and spent the year teaching part-time at Immaculate in Owensboro.
Sister Athanasius retired to the Motherhouse infirmary in May 1971. She was briefly confined to the infirmary and died on October 6, 1971. Her funeral Mass was celebrated by Father Bernard Powers, chaplain. Sister Athanasius’ remains are buried in the convent cemetery.