Anita Mitchell

Anita Yvonne Daniel was born on June 1, 1930, in Texhoma, OK to Leland and Dortha Daniel. She went to be with our Lord on Thursday, January 2, 2020.

In 1940, Leland and Dorthy moved their grocery store from the lower floor of the Alamo Hotel to a  few doors down to Farmer’s State Bank Building, which had formerly housed Mrs. Grover Field’s Dry Cleaners and Tailor Shop. Seven-year-old Yvonne had become buddies with Mrs. Fields. When people would drive into town on Saturday afternoon to shop and visit, Yvonne would sit in the car with Mrs. Field and learn to crochet and knit.

 After the U.S. entered WWII, Yvonne and Mrs. Fields would meet at Daniel’s Cafe and knit sweaters for the soldiers fighting in WWII.  As a fourteen-year-old, Yvonne went to work for Harry Vincent at  Vincent’s Pharmacy. Each working day she would mix up the Coke syrup in the basement, in anticipation for Coke sales that day. It was said she was the most beautiful soda-jerk anyone had ever seen, standing on a stool making those strawberry sodas and blending those chocolate malts.

World War II ended with the unconditional surrender of the Axis powers on the 8th of  May 1945. It was time for dancing to the big bands. It was time for  high school activities: singing in the Texhoma High Girls’ Trio, playing basketball and watching football games, all of which had been discontinued during the war. She attended Jr-Sr Prom with her high school sweetheart, Duane Mitchell.

She graduated as Salutatorian with the Texhoma High School Class of 1948, and went off to Panhandle Agricultural and Mechanical College, 10 miles away at Goodwell, OK. After one year of college, she married Duane, on a Sunday morning before church service at First Christian Church, August 7, 1949. To this union were born four children: Carmen, Tommy, Bob and Bret. They blessed Yvonne with seven grandchildren and ten great grandchildren. This past year, the couple celebrated 70 years of marriage.

Yvonne and Duane purchased the Fred and Hallie May Krull Farm in 1958. The couple was involved in farming and ranching. Yvonne kept books for their farm and later for Duane’s partnership, MMB,  with Brady Mitchell and Chris Beattie. Yvonne worked many years in the office at Texhoma Livestock with her Aunt Euline Smith and Mother-in-law, Kate Marshall.

Faith, Family and Friends were Yvonne’s treasure on earth. Church played a large factor in Yvonne’s life, where she was active in Sunday School, Ladies’ Bible Study the Missions Committee, and played the piano for over 30 years. She was taught the Bible thoroughly by Bible scholars, such as her Grandmother Jennie Daniel, her Aunt Pete and Aunt Cille Sweet. Her father, Leland, taught Yvonne and Duane in First Christian’s  Adult Bible Class.

Duane and Yvonne watched generations of family participate in Texhoma  band and choir, sports, FFA and National Honor Society. The couple attended graduations from Texhoma High School, Oklahoma State University, as well as OU Medical and Dental Schools. Yvonne’s activities included lots of life-long friends made in ESA Sorority, Red Hats, bridge club and calypso. She loved her THS Classmates and Alumni.  One of Duane and Yvonne’s recent honors was being named in September of 2018 as Parade Marshalls for Texhoma’s Fiesta Days. Later that day, her class  of 1948 was also honored for their 70th Anniversary as Alumni of Texhoma High School.

She and Duane also made many friends as they traveled as far south as North Africa with a grain company, and as far north as Alaska. The two have been to most of the 50 states, including Hawaii. Foreign countries visited were Mexico, England, the Caribbean Islands and Western Europe. They have spent summers at their cabin in Angel Fire, New Mexico and later in their condominium in Bella Vista, AR. After they sold those properties, they stayed post-Christmas at Sun Life RV Resort until April 1st for 19 winters in Mesa, AZ where they made many good friends from all over the United States.

Yvonne is survived by her husband of 70 years, Duane, of Texhoma; her daughter Carmen and her husband Kenny Harland of Hulbert, OK and their family, daughter Ashley Lanman and her husband Kenny and their children Kendall and Kellen of Edmond, OK, son Zach and his wife Ashley of Tahlequah, OK; her son Tommy and his wife Cathy and their children, son Brady and wife Kristi and their children Trent and Allie, son Jamey and his wife Chelsey and their children Emma and Maddie; a son Bob and his children, son Ben and his wife Kati and their children Mason and Breelyn, and son  Bryce and wife Raquel and their children Jaxon and Calvin of Aubrey, TX; her sister-in-law Selma Keylon of Sand Springs, OK.

Yvonne was proceeded in death by her parents, Leland and Dortha Daniel, a brother Lyndell Daniel, a Mother-in-law Kate Marshall; a son Bret Wayne Mitchell, and a grandson Kendall Ryan Harland.

Services will be Sunday afternoon at 4:00  p.m. at First Christian Church, 120 Third Street, Texhoma, OK with Pastor Matt Maples, officiating. Services are entrusted to Henson-Novak Funeral Directors.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials be given to Texhoma’s First Christiian Church Youth Program at P.O. Box 448, Texhoma, OK 73949 and designated for Church Youth Camps, or the charity of your choice.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Anita Mitchell, please visit our floral store.