Maude Nason Powell (1889-1987) was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She attended Michigan Agricultural College (now Michigan State University), graduating in 1913 with a degree in Home Economics, the only degree then offered to women. At M.A.C. she met Ralph W. Powell (1889-1976), an engineering student from Ionia, Michigan, who graduated in 1911. Following their marriage in 1914, Ralph enrolled in Yale Theological Seminary. Women were not allowed to take classes, but Maude sat in on those she found interesting.

While at Yale, the Powells signed on as missionaries for the Yale-in-China program. They left for China in the fall of 1916. There Ralph taught engineering classes and worked as a civil engineer, building roads and water systems. Maude spent her first year learning Chinese, then worked in an office and took classes. She received her B.S. from Yale in China in 1925, and eventually she taught physiological chemistry to pre-med students.

Maude and Ralph spent much of their time in China separated from each other. They both worked, sometimes at the American Red Cross, other times at Yale-in-China. During this time they established a foster-parent relationship with two Chinese girls, Chingen Tseng and YuYing Tu (later known as "Ruth").

In the 1920s, fearing the outbreak of revolution in China, Ralph resigned from Yale. The school was operating with only a skeleton staff when he and Maude left China in 1927. Chingen and YuYing were unable to accompany the Powells to America because the American Exclusion Act prohibited Chinese immigration to the U.S., and because the Powells had not legally adopted them. The Powells kept in touch with their foster daughters, however, exchanging letters and sending food parcels.

After returning to America the Powells settled in Columbus, Ohio, where Ralph joined the Engineering Department at The Ohio State University. Maude continued her studies and received a Ph.D. in Nutrition from OSU in June, 1930. During the Depression, she published Cookbook for Hardtimes, which contained recipes for low cost meals. In 1936 Chingen and YuYing were able to join the Powells when they came to study at Ohio State University, and both stayed until 1940, when they graduated.

In 1938, the Powells joined the Society of Friends and became very active members. They hosted weekly lunches, as well as living in Quaker houses for periods of time. In the last years of her life, Maude lived in a Quaker nursing home.

Ralph Powell continued to teach engineering at The Ohio State University until 1957, when he accepted a position at Kansas State University. In the summers, he conducted research in field mechanics. Ralph wrote over 100 articles on civil engineering and hydraulics, while Maude continued her research in nutrition.

Throughout their lives Maude and Ralph Powell maintained their interest in China. They continued to exchange letters and parcels with their two foster daughters, who eventually married and had families. During this time Chingen and YuYing, like millions of others Chinese citizens, were subject to the difficulties of China's revolution: they worked on farms, struggled to feed their families on limited rations, and tried to maintain a sense of normalcy. Both suffered during the "Cultural Revolution" of the late 1960s, particularly YuYing. She was subjected to torture by the Chinese government and later committed suicide.

The Powells moved to Berkeley, California, in 1960, and were active with the Quakers there until Ralph's death in 1976. A collection of their early letters was published in 1979 under the title Eternally Yours, edited by Rose Lewis. Shortly afterward Maude began writing a novel about their experiences in China, but she was unable to complete it before her death in 1987.