Maurice Dean Mitchell Sr.

Maurice Dean Mitchell Sr., 88, passed away at home on Sunday, March 26, 2023. Per Maurice’s wishes his children, children’s spouses and grandchildren gathered for a private visitation and interment of cremains last week on Thursday and Saturday respectively. Maurice and Phyllis’s cremains were interred together near their granddaughter’s grave at Resthaven Cemetery in the Mitchell-Phillips-Schnoes plots.

Maurice was preceded in death by his wife Phyllis, his granddaughter Mary Frances, a sister, his parents as well as friends Wayne Breeding, Hubert “Hubie” Wilkinson and Herbert Wilkinson.

Maurice is survived by his children (spouses): Debra J. Mitchell (Larry Phillips), “Maury” Maurice D. Mitchell Jr. (Lisa), Marvin R. Mitchell and Joni L. Schnoes, nee Mitchell (David). Maurice is also survived by his grandchildren Mason, Mitchell (fiancée Kyra), Morgan, Tucker, Grant, Tanner, Michael and Mara. Other survivors include a sister and brother.

Maurice was born to Clem and Vera Mitchell in Webster Township, Madison County, Iowa on August 22, 1934. That summer was not good for farmers because of insects and high temperatures. His mother Vera gave birth with the help of Maurice’s grandmother in their farm house without electricity or running water. Clem who was a farmer used to say that the only thing they raised in 1934 was Maurice.

Maurice’s family moved to Adair County in 1938 where he attended Grand River No. 7 Country School and one year at Greenfield High School. His family moved back to Madison County where he graduated from Winterset High School in 1952. He married Phyllis Fayne Davis on December 20, 1953, and the two resided in Winterset before moving to West Des Moines in 1987. While living in Winterset, Maurice enjoyed attending his children’s activities, playing golf, reading and coaching baseball/softball. He was also active in the First Christian Church where he served as a Deacon and Phyllis served as the Organist. They were married 59 years and 11 months when Phyllis died in 2013.

From Maurice’s children and grandchildren: Our Dad and Grandpa will be greatly missed. We have so many stories to share that it’s impossible to write everything about him in an obituary! He was passionate about his wife, children and grandchildren. We are grateful that he was a wonderful caregiver to our mom and grandma, Phyllis Mitchell, for whom he did everything during her eight years of Alzheimer’s Disease.

G’Pa (one of his nicknames) journaled every day with each entry including weather information from Channel 8 or WHO radio because in Iowa every good farmer had to be concerned about weather. He loved the agriculture industry. He began farming with his father at a young age. As an adult he began his life’s work of crop farming (Mitchell Farms) and swine seedstock where he was President of Mitchell Bros. Inc. You would rarely find him at a desk at work because he loved being outdoors working the land or with the pigs. He shared so many memories of his childhood work on his father’s farm, and he was grateful to have his sons, Maury and Marv) working by his side for many years. His March journal includes notes about the 2023 farming season, inputs and market conditions. He did what he loved until the end of his life!

Though he loved farming, his family was always his passion. He loved when he could talk with us about his life story. There are many journal entries, texts and pictures that display his connection to us. In his beautiful cursive handwriting, there are notes about our birthdays, our accomplishments, our visits, our holiday celebrations and so much more. G’Pa loved to talk or as some would say “he never met a stranger”. He really enjoyed when we visited him, farmed with him, helped him, called him, and watched sports (Go Braves!) with him. He also loved to take us out for lunch or dinner. We can’t even count the number of times we went to Culvers, Jason’s Deli and Pizza Ranch. Thanks, G’Pa! We miss you already, but you will always be with us as we continue our life’s journeys. We bet the land in heaven is beyond beautiful and imagine you and Mom/Grandma are dancing in the breeze. Godspeed!

Thank you to our friends and extended families who provided meals, shared their condolences and gave us emotional support in the past week. We are blessed to have you in our lives.

Memorial contributions can be made to VFW Post 8142 in Winterset, Iowa. Because of a childhood injury, Maurice was unable to serve his country in a military capacity. His best friends Hube and Herb Wilkinson were veterans and Maurice wanted his friends and all others who served to be honored.