Twilla June Mitchell

Twilla June Mitchell was a woman for whom actions would speak louder than words. Her life motto might well have been “if it isn’t logical, it’s not important.” The qualities of being fair, just and the ability to recognize what was right were clearly driving forces in Twilla’s life. She was also the kind of person who could respect a “do not disturb” sign, whether it was real or implied. She was analytical and observant, with an ability to be simultaneously spontaneous and keenly perceptive. Twilla was modest in her actions and extremely literal in her thoughts and in the manner in which she communicated with others. When Twilla said something, she meant it. All those who knew her appreciated this trademark quality.

Her parents were William (Bill) and Georgia Tyree. Twilla was raised in Colorado and California. Even as a small child, Twilla wanted to understand what was right and what was wrong in any given situation. As Twilla grew older, she realized the importance of being treated fairly, and in return, she treated everyone around her the same way. This belief in fair play served Twilla well throughout her life and despite her natural shyness; she enjoyed a solid group of friends.

Since Twilla sought to treat those around her with respect, she often found herself in the role of playing peacemaker within her family. She was comfortable in working through the types of sibling rivalry situations that quite often occur, because she loved the challenge of conflict resolution. She would look at the most reasonable and practical ways to settle any disputes. Twilla was raised with three siblings. She had her older sister Mary, her older brother Noah and her younger sister Georgetta. Twilla was constantly involved in activities with her siblings. Twilla and her siblings had the typical rivalries while growing up, but they shared many life experiences.

During her childhood, family and friends viewed Twilla as a quiet and reserved person with what most would consider a calm and tranquil demeanor. In fact, she was a fairly curious child who had the ability to entertain herself and didn’t require much in the way of outside stimulation. A great deal of Twilla’s free time was spent learning how and why the things around her worked. She was an active child who loved being outdoors and absorbing all the sensory input that nature could provide. She took part in playground games. In her spare time she liked making paper dolls.

The fact that she was curious was an asset to Twilla while she was in school. She possessed strong study skills and good concentration. She relished the task of scrutinizing problems, investigating all of the options and then solving them. Twilla enjoyed tackling the project that was right in front of her and working it straight through to its conclusion. Sometimes, she would become so involved in the process of problem solving that she would lose awareness of her surroundings. Experience was Twilla’s best teacher. She graduated from Antelope Valley Joint Union High School in 1954. She enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite classes and teachers such as Doris Rudd (P. E.). She was involved in modern dance and art.

Those who didn’t know Twilla well might have thought her to be objective and somewhat emotionally detached, but family and friends who were close to her knew that she was capable of unexpected flashes of humor. Twilla’s good friends tended to be “thinkers” like herself. Even though the circle of friends was somewhat small, it was a strong and loyal group, and Twilla liked nothing better than to spend her free time with them. Twilla was well known for always being up front and open, never hiding her true feelings, qualities that drew deep loyalty from her friends because they understood and appreciated her for the person she was. Another quality that people admired in Twilla was her ability to link cause and effect and apply the appropriate connection in her assessment of any new situation. While growing up, one of her best friends was Shirley Eyler. Later in life, she became friends with Wanda Maddox.

This same loyalty and up front honesty Twilla shared with her friends carried over to other aspects of her life, including her relationships with her family. She was a great listener who enjoyed the couple’s “together” time, especially when it came to celebrating special occasions.

As the family grew, Twilla was easily able to adapt to the changes and challenges of parenthood. Twilla was blessed with three children, two daughters, Cindy and Trena, and one son, Bill. They were also blessed with nine grandchildren, Brian, Melinda, Amy, Kenneth, Brandy, Chris, Devin, Cory, and Rebecca. Twilla was never impulsive in dealing with family problems. Instead, she would carefully think things through before implementing the solution in a logical and objective manner. Twilla was a strong, clear communicator who excelled at eliminating confusion by making matters crystal clear to all those involved. At the same time, Twilla’s inventive nature could turn some of the boring old household chores into a fun activity for the family.

In her work life, Twilla was the kind of person who had no difficulty in taking on a project and seeing it through to its completion. She excelled at dealing with those pesky details that can derail some people, and once she understood exactly why she was working on a project, she could plow full steam ahead. For Twilla, being able to grasp the logical components of any task was significant to her in appreciating its importance. Even if she worked alone on an assignment, Twilla was able to incorporate and welcome new insights from co-workers, and she would readily use them if they improved the process. Her primary occupation was housewife. She was Candy Striper, a Nurse’s Aide and a Hospital Volunteer. Twilla always made the effort to be a team player, doing what was necessary in order to get the job done.

Twilla’s curious and inquisitive nature influenced her choice of leisure pursuits as well. She applied her strong concentration and analytical skills as to how things worked to her choice of activities. She particularly enjoyed the “alone” time her hobbies provided. Her favorite pursuits were arts and crafts and knitting. Twilla was content to enjoy her hobbies alone but was also willing to share her interests with others.

Twilla was an asset to any organization she joined. In many ways, she was a woman of action who would rather tackle a job than spend time chatting about irrelevant things. She worked well on small committees and excelled at focusing on the important details without getting bogged down by the unnecessary parts of an assignment. In high school, Twilla loved A.V., Dance and Art.

If Twilla believed in a cause or an idea, she was willing to work hard on its behalf. Twilla was a member of a few community groups, including serving on committees for the Community Women's Club and a Cub Scout Den Leader during her 30’s.

Religion and faith were important to Twilla. She held dear the faith and values she derived from her beliefs. She was a member of the Church of Christ for 11 years. During that time, she traveled to an annual woman's retreat in Reno, Nevada when she was physically able.

Twilla appreciated the occasions when she was able to travel which suited the life of a military family. She enjoyed learning about different locales. Favorite vacation spots included visits with her family in Everton, MO. She thoroughly enjoyed the task of gathering travel information as she prepared for an upcoming trip. Whenever there was a family event she tried to be there. Events like the marriage of someone in her family or the birth of a child were some things she liked to attend.

Twilla was a lover of animals and cherished her pets. One of Twilla’s favorites was Scooter, her Lopsoapso mixed breed. They were best friends for 14 years, which included being her companion for many years after the passing of her husband, Morris in 1998.

As her retirement approached, Twilla viewed the event as just one more project to research and solve. So, when the day finally arrived in 2001, she was well prepared. She began her retirement in Greer, South Carolina and then in 2010 she moved to Mt. Vernon, Washington. In retirement, she found new pleasure in her knitting.

Twilla passed away on December 17, 2010 at Harbor View Medical Center in Seattle, Washington. A ruptured aortic aneurysm she developed about four years earlier was to cause her unexpected death. At the time of her death, she was surrounded by the love of her family both in the hospital and in the hearts of those family members anxiously waiting for news at home. She is survived by her loving children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, her brother and sister. Services were held at the Church of Christ in Mt. Vernon, Washington and Greer, South Carolina. Twilla is to be laid to rest next to her husband at a family service at the Antioch Christian Church Cemetery in Everton, Missouri.

Twilla strongly believed that talk is cheap. She was the type of person who would show others her feelings through her actions. She was practical and realistic but was able to be flexible when the need arose. She had a curiosity about the things around her and tried to experience life directly rather than sit back and talk about it. The experiences she treasured most were those she shared with her loved ones. Twilla June Mitchell will be greatly missed.