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Mitchell Family History & Genealogy

188,099 biographies and 300 photos with the Mitchell last name. Discover the family history, nationality, origin and common names of Mitchell family members.

Mitchell Last Name History & Origin

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History

Originally "moonshiners" illegally distilling oiskey, the water of life in area near Edinborough.

Name Origin

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Spellings & Pronunciations

We don't have any alternate spellings or pronunciation information on the Mitchell name. Have information to share?

Nationality & Ethnicity

Scotland; celtic

Famous People named Mitchell

John Jay Mitchell, great-grandfather, born in Edinborough.

Early Mitchells

These are the earliest records we have of the Mitchell family.

Jacob Mitchell was born in 1740, and died at age 87 years old in 1827. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Jacob Mitchell.
Thomas Mitchell of Heidelberg, St Stephens Richmond Parish County Australia was born in 1779, and died at age 73 years old in 1852 in Heidelberg.
Catherine (Mitchell) McGowan was born in 1780 in Sligo, County Sligo Ireland. She was in a relationship with Michael McGowan, and had a child Bridget (McGowan) Tahaney. Catherine McGowan died at age 89 years old in 1869 in Juneau County, Wisconsin United States. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Catherine (Mitchell) McGowan.
John Mitchell of Melbourne, St James Melbourne Parish County Australia was born in 1781, and died at age 65 years old in 1846 in Melbourne.
Ann Mitchell of Australia was born in 1785, and died at age 73 years old in 1858.
Marie Mitchell of Australia was born in 1791, and died at age 70 years old in 1861.
Mary Mitchell of Australia was born in 1791 to Mcauliffe Timo Mitchell and Sarah Graham Mitchell. Mary Mitchell died at age 80 years old in 1871.
Martha Elizabeth Mitchell was born on May 13, 1793. Martha Mitchell was married to John Lawson Irwin in May 1816, and they were together until Martha's death on May 19, 1831. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Martha Elizabeth Mitchell.
John Mitchell of Marysborough Australia was born in 1794, and died at age 88 years old in 1882 in Marysborough.
Peter Mitchell of Rox Australia was born in 1794, and died at age 62 years old in 1856 in Rox.
John Mitchell of Australia was born in 1795 to Thomas Mitchell and Betsy Jenkin Mitchell. He had a brother James Jenkin Mitchell. John Mitchell died at age 69 years old in 1864.
Elizabeth Mitchell of Australia was born in 1797, and died at age 82 years old in 1879.

Mitchell Family Photos

Discover Mitchell family photos shared by the community. These photos contain people and places related to the Mitchell last name.

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Mitchell Family Tree

Discover the most common names, oldest records and life expectancy of people with the last name Mitchell.

Most Common First Names

Updated Mitchell Biographies

Cleora Jean (Mitchell) McHale was born on July 16, 1922 in Yatesboro, Pennsylvania United States. She was married to Richard James McHale and they later separated. She had a child James Richard Mchale. Cleora McHale died at age 93 years old on December 20, 2015 in Zelienople. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Cleora Jean (Mitchell).
Elizabeth Marie (Mitchell) Cisler was born on April 29, 1969 in Abington, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania United States. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Elizabeth Marie Cisler.
Melinda Christine (Zavotsky Heavey) Mitchell was born on January 7, 1969 in New Brunswick, Middlesex County, New Jersey United States to Paul Peter Zavotsky and Carrie Louise Zavotsky, and has a sister Theresa Jane O'Leary. She married Michael Joseph Heavey in 1990 in East Brunswick, Middlesex County, NJ and they later divorced in 2000 in East Brunswick. They had children Joseph Michael Heavey and Megan Samantha Heavey. She married Parker Edward Mitchell in 2003 in Waterville, Kennebec County, ME and they later divorced in 2008 in Waterville. She and Edward Charles Sander married on August 25, 2018 in Jacksonville, Duval County, Florida. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Melinda Christine Mitchell.
Georgina (McMaster) Mitchell of Mansfield, Mansfield Shire County, VIC Australia was born in 1882 in Mansfield, and died at age 67 years old on November 10, 1950 in Mansfield.
Isabella Alsbury
Isabella (Mitchell) Alsbury of Mount Morgan, Rockhampton Regional County, QLD Australia was born in 1834 in Fife County, Scotland United Kingdom. She was married to James William Alsbury on April 30, 1855 in Dysart, Fife County, and had children James William Alsbury and John Alsbury. Isabella Alsbury died at age 87 years old on September 4, 1922 in Mount Morgan, Rockhampton Regional County, QLD Australia.
Norman Lee Mitchell Sr.
Norman Lee Mitchell Sr. of Minneapolis, Hennepin County, MN 55439 was born on September 9, 1920 in MN ʻAmelika Hui Pū ʻIa, and died at age 83 years old on October 24, 2003.
Vicki Karen (Sommese) Mitchell was born to Frederick Sommese and Jane P Sommese, and has siblings Julie C Sommese and Leslie (Sommese) Partee. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Vicki Sommese Mitchell.
Annie Mae (Mitchell) Yancey
Annie Mae (Mitchell) Yancey was born on November 20, 1903 in Pittsylvania County, Virginia United States, and died at age 92 years old on April 23, 1996 in Tallahassee, Leon County, FL. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Annie Mae (Mitchell) Yancey.
Jane (Mitchell) Judge of Ararat, Ararat Rural City County, VIC Australia was born in 1854 in Ballarat East, City of Ballarat County. She was married to John Henry Judge in 1879, and had children William Ernest Leslie Judge, Lilia Constance Judge, Earl Clifford Judge, and Vivian Harold Judge. Jane Judge died at age 75 years old in 1929 in Ararat, Ararat Rural City County.
Elizabeth M Mitchell of Mechanicville, Saratoga County, NY was born on May 17, 1918, and died at age 74 years old on December 16, 1992.
John F Mitchell of Troy, Rensselaer County, NY was born on June 14, 1912 in Czechoslovakia, and died at age 62 years old in August 1974.
Elizabeth Pelieu (Good) Mitchell of Dunedin, Otago New Zealand was born in 1862 in Smythesdale, VIC Australia to Robert Good and Mary Ann (Murray) Good. She had siblings Janet Ray (Good) Cox, Alexander O'Reilly Good, William Murray Good, Mary Anne (Good) Turnbull, and Henry George Good. Elizabeth Mitchell died at age 82 years old on December 14, 1945 in Dunedin, Otago New Zealand.
Willie M (Mitchell) Gadison of Leland, Washington County, MS was born on August 23, 1927. Willie Gadison was married to York Gadison, and died at age 61 years old on March 9, 1989.
Vernie Mitchell
"Vernie" Mitchell, born Jon Mitchell, was the son of Shirley Mitchell (1948 - 1994). His headstone reads: "Jon "Vernie" Mitchell 1965 - 1976 Love, Mom & Dad Sisters & Bros." Ten year old Vernie left home at 8 pm on January 28th 1976 to buy bread from a neighborhood store. His body was later found "mutilated with more than 80 cuts and stab wounds". He had been kidnapped, raped, and murdered. It turned out that the killer was a pallbearer at Vernie's funeral (see Man Charged in 1976 Killing) Also see Man convicted in 1976 sex assault, killing of 10-year-old Trenton boy loses another appeal to read a 2019 article about the case and the subsequent resolution. The crime was featured on "Nightmare Next Door, Unknown Murder". Details about the appeal are located at: Man convicted in 1976 sex assault, killing of 10-year-old Trenton boy loses another appeal
Isabella Christena (McDiarmed) Mitchell of Hawthn Australia was born in 1876 in Violet Town, VIC to Mcdiarmid Hugh Harding and Annie Fullarton Mcdiarmed. She had siblings Ellen Mcdiarmed, Annie Mcdiarmed, and Catherine Mcdiarmid. Isabella Mitchell died at age 68 years old in 1944 in Hawthorn, City of Boroondara County.
Elsie May (Monaghan) Mitchell of Sunshine, City of Brimbank County, VIC Australia was born in 1906 in Carlton, City of Melbourne County to Matthew Michael Monaghan and Amelia Ann Hickey Monaghan. She had siblings James Matthew Monaghan, Edward Michael Monaghan, and Edith Amelia Monaghan. Elsie Mitchell married Charles Samuel Mitchell in 1937, and died at age 43 years old on May 17, 1950 in Sunshine, City of Brimbank County.
Veronica Marion (Mitchell) Meaney of Footscray Australia was born in 1899 in Ballarat to Ernt Samuel Mitchell and Margaret Hehir Mitchell. She has siblings Olga Bailey Mitchell, Eunice Enid Mitchell, Monica Elsie Mitchell, and Loila Venice Mitchell. Veronica Meaney married John Francis Meaney in 1919, and has a child Ernt John Meaney. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Veronica Marion Mitchell.
Francis Frederick John Mitchell of SA Australia was born on May 12, 1894 in Richmond, City of Yarra County, VIC, and died at age 61 years old in 1955 in SA.
Thomas William Mitchell of South Yarra, VIC Australia was born on June 28, 1818 in London, Greater London County, England United Kingdom. He was married to Ellen Maria Dean, and had children Francis Cornelius Mitchell, Margaret Emily Mitchell, Millicent Frances Mitchell, and Ethel Fielder Mitchell. Thomas Mitchell died at age 88 years old in 1906 in VIC Australia.
Ellen Maria (Dean) Mitchell of South Yarra, VIC Australia was born on October 21, 1826 in Kent County, England United Kingdom. She was married to Thomas William Mitchell, and had children Francis Cornelius Mitchell, Margaret Emily Mitchell, Millicent Frances Mitchell, and Ethel Fielder Mitchell. Ellen Mitchell died at age 83 years old in 1909 in VIC Australia.

Popular Mitchell Biographies

William Mitchell
William Lendrum Mitchell (December 29, 1879 – February 19, 1936) was a United States Army general who is regarded as the father of the United States Air Force. Mitchell served in France during World War I and, by the conflict's end, commanded all American air combat units in that country. After the war, he was appointed deputy director of the Air Service and began advocating increased investment in air power, believing that this would prove vital in future wars. He argued particularly for the ability of bombers to sink battleships and organized a series of bombing runs against stationary ships designed to test the idea. He antagonized many administrative leaders of the Army with his arguments and criticism and, in 1925, was returned from appointment as a brigadier general to his permanent rank of colonel due to his insubordination. Later that year, he was court-martialed for insubordination after accusing Army and Navy leaders of an "almost treasonable administration of the national defense"[3] for investing in battleships instead of aircraft carriers. He resigned from the service shortly afterward. Mitchell received many honors following his death, including a commission by President Franklin D. Roosevelt as a major general. He is also the first person for whom an American military aircraft design, the North American B-25 Mitchell, is named.
Vernie Mitchell
"Vernie" Mitchell, born Jon Mitchell, was the son of Shirley Mitchell (1948 - 1994). His headstone reads: "Jon "Vernie" Mitchell 1965 - 1976 Love, Mom & Dad Sisters & Bros." Ten year old Vernie left home at 8 pm on January 28th 1976 to buy bread from a neighborhood store. His body was later found "mutilated with more than 80 cuts and stab wounds". He had been kidnapped, raped, and murdered. It turned out that the killer was a pallbearer at Vernie's funeral (see Man Charged in 1976 Killing) Also see Man convicted in 1976 sex assault, killing of 10-year-old Trenton boy loses another appeal to read a 2019 article about the case and the subsequent resolution. The crime was featured on "Nightmare Next Door, Unknown Murder". Details about the appeal are located at: Man convicted in 1976 sex assault, killing of 10-year-old Trenton boy loses another appeal
Mary Frances Mitchell
Mary Frances (King) Mitchell was born in December 1913. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Mary Frances Mitchell.
John Alexander Mitchell
John Alexander Mitchell was born circa March 1876. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember John Alexander Mitchell.
James Almon Mitchell
James Almon Mitchell was born on August 4, 1910, and died at age 34 years old in June 1876 in Missouri USA. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember James Almon Mitchell.
Sandra Y Mitchell of Wyandanch, Suffolk County, NY was born on November 6, 1950, and died at age 55 years old on October 16, 2006.
Clara Louise Mitchell
Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Clara Louise Mitchell.
Karen Kopachy Mitchell
I have had many sad events & major health issues. I'm fortunate to have survived them. I still have a good outlook on life. I am twice widowed. I was married to Homer Ray Crandall & divorced. I then married Daniel Lloyd Mitchell. We were married for 25 years. He died at age 62 from a burst tooth access. The poison went to his heart & killed him. He died at my feet. I was 60. I am now living with Robert (Bob) James Needham. .
Carolyn Mitchell
While in the midst of a divorce from actor Mickey Rooney (with whom she had 4 children, 3 daughters and 1 son), Carolyn's boyfriend, 24-year-old Yugoslavian actor Milo Milosevics, moved in with her and her four children. Later, Milosevics shot and killed Carolyn and then committed suicide. The four children were subsequently put in the custody of their maternal grandparents, who live in Inglewood, California. The full story is at Barbara Thomason slain by jealous lover
Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Thomas Mitchell.
Jonathan Dann-Mitchell (Stepson) was born on January 19, 1982 in La Mesa, San Diego County, California United States. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Jonathan Dann-Mitchell.
Jessie Isabella (Mitchell) Cowhan was born in 1903 to Charles Donald Mitchell and Elizabeth Mitchell ( McLachlan, and had siblings Allan Mitchell, Archibald Mitchell, Charles Mitchell, Catherine (Mitchell) Finch, Morach Mitchell, and Ina Mitchell. She married Arnold "Barney" King Cowhan, and had children Donald William Cowhan and Gwendoline Joyce (Cowhan) Cahill. Jessie Cowhan died at age 70 years old circa 1973. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Jessie Isabella Cowhan ( Mitchell.
Jennifer Nicole Mitchell was born in Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky United States to Walden Mitchell and Rosa Lee (Stinebruner) Mitchell. Jennifer Mitchell was in a relationship with Darren A Griswald, and has children Kaitlyn Nicole Griswold and Bradley Alan Griswold. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Jennifer Nicole Mitchell.
Maude (Mitchell) Henley was born in 1901, and died at age 56 years old in 1957. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Maude (Mitchell) Henley.
Kelly Rana Mitchell was born in 1971 in Coshocton, Coshocton County, Ohio United States to Roberta Mae (Gallagher) Cruxton, and has siblings Shane E Layland, Sheila Kay (Cruxton) Toliver, and Tina Marie Maria. Kelly Mitchell died at Coshocton High School in Coshocton. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Kelly Rana (Cruxton) Mitchell.
Charles Mitchell was born to Charles Donald Mitchell and Elizabeth Mitchell ( McLachlan, and has siblings Jessie Isabella Cowhan ( Mitchell, Allan Mitchell, Archibald Mitchell, Catherine (Mitchell) Finch, Morach Mitchell, and Ina Mitchell. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Charles Mitchell.
Catherine (Mitchell) Finch was born to Charles Donald Mitchell and Elizabeth Mitchell ( McLachlan, and has siblings Jessie Isabella Cowhan ( Mitchell, Allan Mitchell, Archibald Mitchell, Charles Mitchell, Morach Mitchell, and Ina Mitchell. Catherine Finch married Horace Auckland Finch, and has children Mary (Finch) Wilson, Doris Jane (Finch) Grant, and Catherine Anne (Finch) Waugh. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Catherine (Mitchell) Finch.
Crystal Sade (Lloyd) Mitchell
Crystal Sade (Lloyd) Mitchell was born on November 1, 1987 in Durham, Durham County, North Carolina United States to Edward J Streeter and Sheila Elizabeth Lloyd, and has a brother Edward Jermaine Lloyd. Crystal Mitchell died in Durham. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Crystal Sade (Lloyd) Mitchell .
Tammy Dawn (Tincup) Mitchell
Tammy Dawn (Tincup) Mitchell was born in 1960 to Jess W Tincup and Virgina Loretta (Moore) Tincup, and is the mother of Shane Paul Ferguson. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Tammy Dawn (Tincup) Mitchell.

Mitchell Death Records & Life Expectancy

The average age of a Mitchell family member is 70.0 years old according to our database of 140,264 people with the last name Mitchell that have a birth and death date listed.

Life Expectancy

70.0 years

Oldest Mitchells

These are the longest-lived members of the Mitchell family on AncientFaces.

Pearl Mitchell of Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio was born on October 23, 1864, and died at age 117 years old in August 1982.
117 years
Beverly Mitchell was born on November 14, 1863, and died at age 115 years old in November 1978. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Beverly Mitchell.
114 years
Francis Mitchell was born on January 5, 1846, and died at age 115 years old in June 1961. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Francis Mitchell.
115 years
Ronald Mitchell was born on August 20, 1864, and died at age 115 years old in December 1979. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Ronald Mitchell.
115 years
Agatha W Mitchell of Dillwyn, Buckingham County, VA was born on March 26, 1887, and died at age 113 years old on February 25, 2001.
113 years
Dove Mitchell of Burbank, Los Angeles County, California was born on July 17, 1860, and died at age 112 years old in February 1973.
112 years
Edwin Mitchell of Miami, Miami-Dade County, Florida was born on February 22, 1866, and died at age 112 years old in October 1978.
112 years
Mattie Mitchell of Toledo, Lucas County, Ohio was born on December 27, 1873, and died at age 111 years old in September 1985.
111 years
Charlie Mitchell of Quitman, Brooks County, Georgia was born on March 1, 1875, and died at age 111 years old in March 1986.
111 years
Robert Mitchell of Pittsburg, Camp County, TX was born on February 2, 1887, and died at age 111 years old on April 13, 1998.
111 years
Willie Mitchell of Mountain Pine, Garland County, AR was born on February 3, 1886, and died at age 111 years old on October 28, 1997.
111 years
Hattie Mitchell of Spokane, Spokane County, Idaho was born on February 28, 1873, and died at age 110 years old in November 1983.
110 years
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Anyone related to Minnie Lee(Webb-Jones)Mitchell, or her husband Price Cavit Mitchell? They had two children, Curtis Mitchell and Myrtice Mae (Mitchell)Sammons... They would have all lived in or around AL, GA and FL throughout the years.. They have all passed on now.. They are my immediate relatives on my dad's side. Hoping to find some long lost family on here, as I don't know much about that side of my family. Hoping for some good news from this, though. Godspeed🤞💜🙏
My father's family had seven siblings: John, Thomas, Teddy, Catherine, Mae, William, and Margaret. Parents were: William and Mary Mitchell, I think. All born and raised in state of Rhode Island. Does anyone have any information because that's about all I have. Thanks..
william edward born birming 1872 kia 20 oct 1914 1st battle ypres serjeant 1st southstaffordshire reg
Once upon a very long time ago, it was 1925 in Ralls Texas. There were cotton fields there, and Mitchells and Owens to pick it. The littlest of these was Myrtle May Mitchell Owen's little daughter, Lillie May.

All week she picked cotton or pulled bolls dragging the 4 foot long, half cotton sack behind her. The day started as soon as the sun started drying up the dew and ended when it was too dark to see. It was hot, dry and dusty. Her skin burned and sometimes her thirst was like a living animal gnawing at her throat and belly. Stopping for lunch meant sitting in the shadow of the wagon, eating a cold biscuit with mustard, washing it down with water, tepid, and sometimes muddy. Walking home at night was so hard if you were as small and tired as she always was.

Any money she made went to her father to help support the family. On Saturday she was given a nickel to go to the store and buy glorious things like Cracker Jacks ( that she called pop jacks), penny candy and maybe a sodypop.

That Saturday her 6 year old heart took turns pounding, quivering in excitement and wildly beating in her chest. Her big brothers had traded her nickel for a dime. It was the most money she had ever had to spend, ever. Visions of cotton candy, popjacks, penny candy danced in her head as her mother braided her waist length hair. Maybe she could even buy one of the small frozen charlotte dolls to carry in her pocket. The possibilities were like bees dripping sweet honey into her mind.

Down the road she skipped, singing her favorite hymn about angels. Yes, a frozen charlotte could live in her pockets both in the fields and on Sundays in church. No one would know, and she would be able to secretly rub the smooth , cool bisque and feel good. She had never had a doll of any kind before. She kept skipping toward the store, trying to decide if the doll would have blond or brown hair.

Mr. Gilmore always acted glad to see Lillie. She was a polite little girl who was pleasant for a storekeeper to serve. He set the CrackerJacks and 2 pieces of penny candy on the counter, She was looking longingly at the foot tall doll with the dolly face and white dressing gown,. For a year she had stared at that doll, and he knew her heart desired that special doll, but alas, it was a very expensive one and he could not afford to just give it away.

Finally she pointed to the frozen Charlotte with the bright yellow hair, and he took her dime, handed her the doll, put her Cracker Jacks and candy in a little sack , and smiled at her. She smiled and said she would be back next week.

She was walking slowly along side the road just where the big cottonwood trees grew when 3 boys jumped out of the brush and made a sort of ring around her, She knew them as bullies who hit and beat people up. She clutched her doll and candy tighter and said nothing, but her fear was not hidden.

They teased her, taunted her, kept snatching her doll away, throwing it into the dust and laughing. Tears down her face was inevitable, and that spurred on their meanness.


They tossed the doll once more, and it fell against a rock, the neck breaking inro a jagged edge, the head rolling a bit away. Another of them started pelting her with her Cracker Jacks and they all laughed when she flew at them with fists punching.

No one heard or saw the 16 year old cowboy who quietly rode upon this scene. He stopped his horse and inquired at to what the boys were doing. They of course were ready to fight him too because they had him outnumbered.

He rode over to Lillie and leaned down, He caught her hand and swung her up behind him on the saddle. He untied a 16 foot long bullwhip that had been lightly slung on the side of his saddle.

He began to cut the shirts off the boys without touching their skin. He put holes in their hats. He lightly wrapped his whip around their boots and pulled them off balance so badly they fell to the ground.

They had no bruises, no blood but a healthy fear by this time. They had had no way of knowing this young man was a trick roper, rider and bullwhip artist with a big wild west show up in Oklahoma.

Finally he had them tell him where they lived , because he reckoned their pa's would want to know about the brave boys they were.

He turned his big black stud smartly around and went back to the store.

In the store he bought her cracker Jacks, and candy, and the other frozen charlotte doll. Then he saw her looking at the doll with the dolly face and the dressing gown. He asked Mr.Gilmore to wrap it up for him.

On the way to taking her home, they talked about her life and his. She told him about the cotton patch , and he related funny tales about the Wild west show. Then he told her about his little sister just a bit older than Lillie.

He carefully lowered her to the ground with her candy and popjacks,with Charlotte in her pocket.

Then he handed her the dolly faced doll and said. “ Keep this for me until I see you again., Play with her and pretend you are playing with my little sister” Then he rode away.

That would just be a nice story had it ended there. But for 15 years Lillie dreamed of that young man on the big black horse. When things made her sad, or fearful, she imagined him riding up to make it ok.

Came the day she was working in the kitchen of the ranch house of the Circle CC down New Mexico way, and very sad because of her boyfriend left her, her father was dying and her mother was ill .She was sole support of her mother and the two younger siblings. Tears often mixed with the dishwater and desperation had set in.

Inda, the boss's wife called to her to go tell the new foreman that she wanted him to come up for dinner.

Lillie went down to the corral where the men were working with horses and ask to speak with the foreman. A tall, blue eyed , red haired vaguely familiar man came over to her, took his hat off and said “ I am the foreman here. My name is “Red Chester, how can I help you Mam?” She delivered the message and hurried back to the house.

That afternoon while preparing dinner, she kept thinking and trying to remember what it was about that man that seemed familiar. It niggled at her mind and played with her brain.

Just before dinnertime, she went out onto the back porch to take a damp mop out to dry. He just then came riding up like the wind on that very same black stud, Like lightening she recognized her savior from so long ago.

After dinner had been served, and the family retired to the parlor, she went to her room and carefully removed a dolly faced doll from its cardboard box lined with tissue paper.

Shyly she waited for him to come through the kitchen to go back to his quarters.

When he started to leave, she picked the doll up off the chair and handed it to him. She said “ please take this to your sister, it is her turn to play with it”

Two weeks later they were married, and for the next 45 years kept the doll on a shelf in the living room.

I know, because this is how my parents met.
Somewhere in South Carolina, before 1870, there was a sweet lady, who had a lily blooming in her yard. This lady had a sweet daughter , whose name we do not know, that decided to marry a handsome black-haired, brown eyed man, and seek her fortune in Tennessee.

She was so pleased to have this lily that she took it with her to her new home in Tennessee, where she planted it by her front door. Every time it bloomed, the sweet fragrance called to her and spoke of the love her mother had sent with her forever.

Nettie was the name of one of the daughters of this home. This little girl grew up knowing one day, she would have a lily from the same plant for her own front door. When she smelled its perfume, she knew that at least two generations of women loved her.

Nettie’s family then moved to become pioneers in Texas, where in Hunt County she married a handsome, brown eyed man with hair like a raven’s wing.

Their home in Grayson County had the lily blooming at the front door of the home where some of their children were born.

It was determined that Indian Territory would be a better place to rear their growing family, so William and Nettie Mathis/Mathews Mitchell moved to Aylesworth, IT. And at the door, the lovingly transported lily was planted.

Nettie had two daughters, Annie and Myrtle May. When each of them married a lily was given to them to grow by their front doors, and no matter how far away from home they were, even though Nettie died in 1911, each time the lily bloomed, they would know they were loved.
All too soon, both girls were grown and married. And at first, both of their lilies bloomed in Oklahoma. Then Myrtle Amy and her husband moved to Lubbock, where the lily bloomed in the dry dust of west Texas.
Five years the lily bloomed, and flourished, and then the time came to move again. This time Myrtle May had her own daughters.

In the soft sand of Hobbs, NM with the smell of oil in the air, planted outside of a tent, was the first place I saw the lily. The tent door belonged to my grandmother, Myrtle May Mitchell Owen. My mother , Lillie May Owen Chester took her lily and planted it beside her front door.

So many years later, the lily was moved to my front yard. And though all the women that had the lily before me had long since been dead, I know I have been loved every time the lily blooms. It smells like Mother, and home.

I, now a Guthrie, have shared this lily with descendants of Nettie and it blooms now in six states, as well as in my front yard, not too many miles from Nettie’s home in Aylesworth.

The lily is a Crinum X Herbertii or the wine and milk lily, which because of the research of our mutual cousin, Eva Mitchell Murphy, we know the name of it, and the origin of it in this country in NC and SC.

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