"It took several years, but I didn't go away. I knew what I wanted to do,” said retired Oklahoma Game Warden Linda Powell.

Three decades ago, Powell became the first female Oklahoma game warden after years of her application being rejected.

She celebrated her retirement with family and friends at the Chickasaw Nation Community Center in Kingston.

In attendance was a Oklahoma Department of Wildlife and Conservation commissioner, Leigh Gaddis and said Powell’s 30 year achievement shouldn’t go unrecognized.

"She kind of blazed the trail for more women, and there have been a few since then, but not enough.”

It took 13 years after Powell joined for the second female game warden to work in Oklahoma, and now the state is down to two female game wardens.

"There are some physical requirements and of course academic requirements and things like that, but there's no reason women shouldn't be able to do it,” Gaddis said.

Powell said her passion is the outdoors, and her plans includes the things she loves to do.

"They may see me out in the woods, they may see me fishing and they may see me crappie fishing this spring. I'll get it together, I'll figure out what I want to do,” Powell said.