Thelma Elida Mitchell

GARNER - Thelma E. Mitchell, 91, of Garner died Friday (July 15, 2011) at the Concord Care Center in Garner.

Funeral services will be held 11 A.M., Thursday, July 21st at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Garner with Rev. Dale Glawatz officiating. Burial will be in Memorial Park Cemetery in Mason City.

Visitation will be held from 5 to 7 P.M., Wednesday at the Cataldo Funeral Chapel, 160 E. 4th St., Garner and will continue one hour prior to services at the church.

Memorials may be directed to the Harvey and Thelma Mitchell Radio Ministry Fund, Lutheran Laymen's League or Hospice of North Iowa.

Thelma Elida Mitchell, the daughter of Theodore Charles and Malenda (Rosaaen) Rogness, was born March 12, 1920 on a farm in Ellington Township, southeast of Forest City. In the fall of 1926 Thelma lived with her grandparents in Thor, Iowa where she attended her first year of school. She attended Ellington #5 for the rest of her elementary education. She graduated from Forest City High School in 1938 with a Normal Training Teacher's Certificate. Thelma continued her education at La James Cosmetology School in Mason City. After graduation she taught at La James until 1942. During WW II, Thelma moved to Omaha, NE and was employed at Glen L. Martin as a final assembly electrical inspector for airplane bombers. During her employment at the bomber plant she met her future husband, Harvey Mitchell. On February 6, 1944 they were married at Faith Lutheran Church in Miller. Thelma and Harvey lived with her parents before moving into Garner in 1946. Thelma was a stay-at-home mother for their children and in 1966 became the assistant librarian at the Garner-Hayfield Elementary School retiring in 1988. In 1976 she began working as an assistant librarian at the Garner Public Library. She continued working at the Garner Public Library until 1995. Thelma enjoyed reading and was instrumental in establishing libraries at St. Paul Lutheran Church and at Prairie View Apartments. She also enjoyed traveling, golfing, sewing, using her computer, and communicating with friends and relatives.

She was a member of St. Paul Lutheran Church, LWML, Garner Wa-Tan-Ye Club, WIT and the Book Worms Book Club.

Thelma is survived by her three children, Harvey "Dan" (Cari) Mitchell, Jr. of Hastings, MN, Dennis (Barb) Mitchell of Hollywood, FL and Deb (Mike) Schmidt of South Haven, MN; seven grandchildren and their families, Mitzi Mitchell (Greg Huff), Mindi (Gunnar) Nelson and their three children, Masayda, Cassian and Joakim, Shayne (Sarah) Mitchell and their two daughters, Adrianna and Mackenzie, Caryn (Jason) Smith and their two sons, Brayden and Rylan, Bryan (Stacy) Mitchell, Christian Schmidt and Gretchen (Jeremy) Etzler; a brother, Martin (Miriam) Rogness of Forest City; two sisters, Alma (Arno) Olson of Iowa City and Marie Jordahl of Enid, OK; a sister-in-law, Phyllis Rogness of California; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Harvey, Sept. 29, 1997; parents; and two brothers, Lester and Emmet Rogness