Nancy T. Mitchell's Obituary
Nancy Taylor Mitchell was born February 8, 1921 in Pine Bluff, Arkansas and went home to be with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on July 20, 2017. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, John, and her parents and siblings. She is survived by her daughter, Reine and husband Paul, son Richard and wife Charlzann, grandchildren Chris (Julia), Zach, Matt, and Robyn (Mon) and great grandchildren Sophia-8, Bella-7, Mhaica-6, Elizabeth-5, Jack-5, Shiloh-2 and Thomas-1. Nancy grew up on a farm near Watson Chapel, AR and was the valedictorian of the graduating class of 1939. She was the second of three children and their farm was ¼ mile from her grandparents’ farm. Because her mother was the oldest of 12 children, Nancy and her brother and sister were close to aunts and uncles who were only a few years older than she was. Her mom was a homemaker and Sunday School teacher and her dad farmed and worked for the Cottonbelt Railroad. His job and the farm enabled the family to survive the depression without extreme hardship but Nancy always remembered those times and learned to be very careful with her money. She learned to cook and sew at home and in high school and used those skills the rest of her life. One of her great joys was having family over for meals. After high school Nancy worked for Southwestern Bell as a telephone operator in Pine Bluff, AR. She married her beloved husband, John Mitchell, in 1943 after a courtship of several years. When WWII ended, they moved to Dallas where she continued to work for Southwestern Bell until the birth of her first child. As the wife of a traveling salesman before the Internet and cell phone communications she managed the household, finances and children depending on God and calling on friends for help when needed. When John was home they shared kitchen duties, child rearing and especially gardening which they both loved because as she said, “that gave us more time to spend together.” Even though they were often apart, they were a team that worked well together and demonstrated their deep love for each other until his death in 1978. Nancy was committed to her Lord, her church, her family and her friends. She and John were active in Highland Baptist Church where they made lifelong friendships. When they moved to north Dallas in 1952 they became active in Northway Baptist Church where Nancy continued to be an active member until her death. For many years she served her Lord as the director of the 4th grade Sunday School Department at Northway Baptist Church where she delighted in helping children learn the books of the Bible, do Sword Drills to find Bible verses and learn how to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Her faith was something she didn’t say a lot about; she just lived it every day providing an example for many to follow. Nancy was a creative person who knew exactly what she wanted. When she and John decided to build a new house, she specified exactly where they would look for a lot so Reine and Richard would stay in the same schools. She then drew a floor plan of exactly how she wanted the house laid out and gave it to the architect. The result was the home she lived in for 54 years. After moving in they designed the yard and garden which gave her great pleasure the rest of her life. Her favorite Christmas presents were birdseed, bulbs for the yard and cashews. Nancy was a wonderful friend, often providing meals, transportation and encouragement to her friends, although she wasn’t afraid to speak her mind when needed. She enjoyed get-togethers to play 42 or Uno or Mexican train or just visit. She baked bread and made jelly to share with her neighbors, friends and grandchildren at Christmas. Nancy put a priority on her family. Over the years each of her children and their spouses moved “home” for short periods and she cheerfully welcomed them. She loved her grandchildren and supported them in their endeavors. Her four grandchildren have fond memories of the weeks she would take all four of them to the cabin in east Texas where they could play in the dirt, ride a go-kart, go swimming, shoot a bb gun and just have fun with Grandma Nancy. Their parents enjoyed these breaks from their kids, too. As they grew to be adults she continued her love and support. Her grandson Matt said it best, “My grandma was the strongest person I have ever met. I always knew that no matter what was happening… mistakes, disappointment, failure… she would always be there.” And she delighted in each of her 7 great grandchildren, rejoicing in their achievements and loving them as they crawled, walked, cut a tooth or played with the toys in the “toy cabinet.” Her fridge was decorated with pictures of her great grandchildren. Nancy was a hard worker. After her children were in high school she worked at Sanger Harris and then Preston State Bank where she became a customer service supervisor until her retirement. After retirement she enjoyed working in her yard and traveling with friends or her sister. Nancy was a positive cheerful person. She was a 25-year breast cancer survivor and had several health issues over the years but she rarely complained about hurts or ills. She often said that complaining didn’t make it better so she “just kept on going.” She believed in completing projects, so she would keep after something till it got done. When she had a wreck and had to give up driving her main concern was that she was causing her children inconvenience. She has now gone home to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, but she’s left a legacy of wonderful memories of a life well lived and a great example to follow. The family will receive friends at Restland Funeral Home from 6-8 PM on Monday, July 24, 2017. The service will be at The Village Church-Dallas Northway at 11 AM, Tuesday, July 25, 2017 with Pastor Steve Hardin officiating. There will be a reception at the church following the service. Then, there will be a graveside service at 2 PM at Restland Memorial Park in Veterans II where Nancy will be laid to rest beside her husband. Mon Lorenzo, Matt Mitchell, Zach Mitchell, and Chris Trent will serve as pallbearers. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Texas Baptist Men to assist with disaster relief at http://texasbaptistmen.org/Ministries/Disaster-Relief. Arrangements have been entrusted to Restland Funeral Home located at 13005 Greenville Avenue, Dallas, TX 75243.
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