Donald Mitchell

DONALD LEE MITCHELL was the ninth child born to Edward and Eloise (Peterson) Mitchell on October 21, 1949 in Pipestone, Minnesota. He was raised in Pipestone and Trosky, Minnesota. He was baptized and confirmed into the Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod, as a child, and later confirmed into the Catholic Faith on Easter in 1994. He attended school in Pipestone where he graduated in May of 1968. Donald worked the majority of his career as a plant maintenance supervisor for Bayliner Marine Corporation which moved him and his family around the country to Georgia, West Virginia and eventually settling on the Mitchell homestead in Trosky, Minnesota in 1987. He was united in marriage to Maria Milagros (Claro) Mitchell in Trosky, Minnesota on May 12, 1973.

Donald Mitchell served in the United States Navy from November 29, 1968 to November 28, 1974. He was a ship fitter, welder, plumber and fireman on the USS Vernon County LST61 (1161) and the USS Denver LPD9. He is decorated with the National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal and the Combat Action Ribbon. Donald was a very giving person. He was the kind of man who you didn’t have to ask, he was already knocking on your door asking “What can I do?” He served as councilman in Trosky. He served as a fireman for Bayliner in Georgia, West Virginia and Minnesota. His passions were his family, farming, snowmobiling, going to drag races, camping, fishing, and touching close to 70 children serving as a foster parent with his wife, Maria, for 19 years. Donald was diagnosed with colon rectal cancer in July 2010. He endured two rounds of chemotherapy and radiation never to have fully healed from his treatments. He went home at the age of 63 at 9:02 p.m. on Friday, March 8, 2013.

He is deeply loved and will be missed by his wife, Maria Mitchell of Trosky, Minnesota; daughter, Shirly Mitchell of Dallas, Texas; foster daughter, Amber Broomfield and her husband Jeremy of Luverne, Minnesota; nephew, Donald Christopher Claro and his mother Cristina of Trosky, Minnesota; his siblings, James Mitchell and his wife Rose of Pensacola, Florida, Gordon Mitchell and his wife Lou of Salinas, California; Marlys Hazelton and her husband Francis of Pipestone, Minnesota, Gary Mitchell and his wife Bev of Ihlen, Minnesota, Keith Mitchell and his wife Patti of Pipestone, Minnesota, Judi Brennan of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Betty Zeik of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Nancy Mitchell of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and Vicki Miller and her husband Kevin of Sparks, Nevada; and his two sisters-in-law, Shirley Mitchell of Far West, Utah and Gerri Mitchell of Trosky, Minnesota. He was preceded in death by his parents; and his brothers, Kenneth and Doug Mitchell.