William Mitchell 1917-2003

MITCHELL, BRADY, BRIGGS, DAGE, WIEDOW

Posted By: SGF (email)
Date: 12/10/2003 at 04:21:19

William "Bill" Mitchell, 86, of Harpers Ferry, died Wednesday, July 2, 2003, at his home in Harpers Ferry following a sudden illness. Funeral services were held Tuesday, July 8 at St. Pius at Cherry Mound Catholic Church in rural Harpers Ferry, with Rev. Msgr. Ed Lechtenberg officiating. Burial was in the church cemetery. Martin Funeral Home in Waukon assisted the family with arrangements. William Edwin Mitchell was born March 28, 1917, in Chicago, Ill., the son of Edwin W. and Lilian Agnes (Brady) Mitchell. He spent much of his childhood in the Chicago area where he attended school to the fourth grade. He traveled the country by railroad as a young man and then spent some time as a member of the Civilian Conservation Corps. On November 4, 1939, he married Betty Mae Briggs in Palmyra, Mo. They moved to Jacksonville, Ill., where he worked for Nesco for 13 years, making munitions during World War II and appliances after that. In 1956, they moved to Harpers Ferry, where Bill became a commercial fisherman. He later worked over 20 years for the Allamakee County Road Department until his retirement in 1983. Bill was a nature lover at heart and spent his favorite times outdoors. He hunted, was an avid fisherman, liked to feed the birds, and enjoyed the constant company of his dog, Buddy. He was also a life-long Chicago Cubs fan, an accomplished crossword puzzle worker, liked to play cards, and looked forward to visiting with friends each morning. Survivors include a son, Charles of Harpers Ferry; a daughter, Sandy (Richard) Dage of Waukon; four grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; and two brothers, Richard Russell of Wilcox, Ariz., and Bernard Russell of St. Petersburg, Fla. He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, a brother, Charlie, and a sister, Alice Wiedow. Honorary casketbearers were Phil Schlesselman, Todd Treat, Ronda Nading-Elliott, Luverne Krambeer, Sara and Krystal Krull, and Sharai Keough. Casketbearers were Bob Schmitt, Nick and Connie Keough, Dan and Darren Dage, Les Livingood, Herb Platten, and George Paulson.

©Waukon Standard 2003
-source: Waukon Standard July 16, 2003