Obituary of Louis Frederick Mitchell

Louis Frederick Mitchell June24, 1914 - March 30, 2011 Lou died peacefully, early in the morning of March 30. He is survived by his six children - Wayne and Ruth Mitchell (Surrey BC), Bob and Marj Mitchell (Red Deer), Glen Mitchell (Edmonton), Reta Shudra (Red Deer), Lynne and Peter Macklon (Calgary), and Faye Mitchell (Edmonton), as well as 15 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren. Lou is also survived by his sisters Helen Japp and Muriel Hughes as well as his brothers Ted and Walter Mitchell. He was predeceased by his wife Olive, daughter June, sons-in-law Daryl Shudra and Murray Mackenzie, brothers Phil and Jack, sisters Dorothy Mitchell, Kitty Garden and Grace Patnoe. Lou was born and raised on his parents’ homestead south of Blackfoot and had many fond memories from his childhood. He enjoyed being part of a large family, and liked to tell stories of escapades with his brothers, cousins and friends; always recounted with amazing clarity and evident delight. We will all miss his recollections spanning his 96 years of life well lived. Thanks to his written memoirs, though, we can return to these time and again. Lou helped his Dad with the family farm and then worked as a hired man for a neighbor, Pete Enzenauer, and later Bob Holtby, Olive’s Dad, until the start of WW2. He married Olive, the love of his life, in December 1937. He enlisted in the Air Force in 1940, and was stationed in numerous locations throughout Canada while training as an aero engine mechanic and later as a pilot. During his time in the Air Force he made life-long friendships. After the war ended, Lou worked on the railway for a short time and then took over his parents’ land; farming until the early 1980’s. Once retired, he enjoyed travelling the world with Olive, puttering in his shed and working on various carpentry projects. Many family members and friends are the proud owners of clocks and deacons’ benches that he made, as well as chairs that he refinished. In 1997 he and Olive moved into a condo in Lloyd. From the condo, he moved into the Hemstock Residence in 2006, and then to the Lamont Health Care Centre in October 2010. Lou was a man of great character who was polite and a gentleman. He was a thinking man who did not make decisions lightly. The legacy he has left to his family is that of honesty, integrity and hard work. He rarely complained and never looked back on his life with regret. Lou accepted what life had to offer and felt that he had lived a rich and full life. His family was important to him, and to the end he enquired after his many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Lou’s family would like to thank Dr. Thomas Kerlis for his care and concern for Lou for many years. We would also like to thank the staff at both the Hemstock Residence and Lamont Health Care Centre for the high standard of support provided. In particular the family notes the special efforts of Terry Swan. We welcome everyone who knew Lou to attend a gathering in his honour at the Hearthstone Place residence. (4200-54 Ave, Lloydminster) on April 16 from 2-4 pm. In lieu of flowers, a donation in Lou’s name to the charity of your choice would be welcomed.