Daryl L. Mitchell

On September 25, 1925 our dad, Daryl L. Mitchell was born at home on the family farm near Hurley, MO to Leonard Mitchell & Jane Winifred Holder Mitchell and passed away July 13, 2012 at the age of 86 years and 10 months, at the Lawrence County Manor in Mt. Vernon, MO after a two-month illness. Daddy attended Hampton School in Stone County Missouri through the 8th grade and graduated from Hurley High School in 1943. Those years were spent with farm chores and school activities where he learned a solid work ethic. His true loves in high school were hunting and fishing with his beloved terrier, Teddie, as well as school sports, especially baseball. He was recruited by the St. Louis Cardinals upon graduation however, his possible career as a catcher in professional baseball was interrupted by World War II. He was able to play on several award winning amateur teams in the Springfield area after he was discharged from the Army. Daddy entered the Army as soon as he turned 18 and was deployed to Belgium on December 28, 1944, with A335 Company of the 84th Infantry Division (The Railsplitters) acting as replacement troops in the Battle of the Bulge. He was wounded on February 24, 1945 and sent back to England to recover, where, in his words, he "Didn't have any more bullets flying over my head."� He received an honorable discharge when the war ended and remained a proud Railsplitter until the day he passed away. He was a recipient of the Bronze Star Medal and the Purple Heart. Daddy and our mother, Janet Tatum Mitchell were married December 3, 1945 in Springfield, MO and between February 1947 and January 1960, four daughters were born to the family. The four daughters survive him: Myra and Randy Massey of Nixa, MO; Muerita and Alan Scrivner of Mt. Vernon, MO; Regina Graves and Carmen Robinson, both of Kansas City, MO, nine grandchildren, six great-grandchildren as well as his sister-in-law, Jenna, twin sister of our mother, Janet. His sister Shirley and nephew, Bruce Bashaw, also survive him, as well as a beloved cousin, Anthony Estes and his family, and many other relatives and friends, especially in Nixa, where he lived for more than 60 years. He was preceded in death by our mother, Janet, in 2003, his mother and father, and his mother and father-in-law, Blanche (Payne) and Wade Tatum. Daddy retired in 1985 from Complete Auto Transit where he was a member of Teamsters Local 364 as well as American Legion Post 434, V.F.W. Post 6758, the Military Order of the Purple Heart Chapter 621, and the 84th Infantry, in which he served as Historian for many years. Upon retirement he began attending the annual reunion of the 84th Infantry and attended every year thereafter, through 2011 when the membership regretfully disbanded. Mother attended with him for many years, until poor health prevented travel, after which we, his daughters, were privileged to travel with him from Branson, MO to Providence, RI, and many places in between. After retirement, he also served as Alderman for the Nixa City Council for several years and bowled many a game with various leagues in Nixa and Springfield. Funeral services will be held Tuesday, July 17, 2012 at 11:00 AM at Adams Funeral Home in Nixa. Burial services will be at 1:00 PM at the Veterans' Memorial Cemetery. Visitation will be held Monday evening from 6:00 to 8:00 PM in the funeral home. The family would like to thank the staff at Lawrence County Manor for their many acts of kindness in caring for Daddy in his final weeks, as well as friends and neighbors for their cards and phone calls.