The Life of ANTHONY L MITCHELL
Anthony L. Mitchell, 83, died Thursday, October 7, 2004. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, October 10 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. with a 6:30 p.m. vigil service.
Anthony L. Mitchell was the only son of Veronica and Peter Mitchell, immigrants of Lithuania in the early 1900''s. His sister''s name was Helen. Tony was born in Des Moines on May 6, 1921. Tony ended his journey on this earth on October 7, 2004, at the ripe age of 83.
Tony was a life-long resident of Des Moines, IA and never entertained thoughts of leaving his much loved East Side. As a youth, Tony attended public schools in Des Moines and worked in various public works programs prior to enlisting in the US Army in 1941. Tony was always very proud of his service to the country while assigned to the 113 Calvary Unit, and defended his country as a platoon sergeant in the Pacific during World War II.
Tony was richly blesseed by the Lord when, following a long exchange of letters during the later parts of the war, he married Rita Elizabeth Reis in 1946 at Visitation Catholic Church in Des Moines. Tony and Rita often recounted the beginning their new life at government housing located in the old Fort Des Moines. Shortly afterwards, Tony and Rita purchased their first home near East High School and began their family.
Tony was always very proud of his work over 40 years in the press and mailing sections of Meredith Publishing Company, Until the very end, Tony maintained his relations with fellow worker-friends he established at that job, and always enjoyed the fellowship he found during his many noontime visits to the Meredith cafeteria during lunch to visit, network, and share the everyday joys and losses of his friends.
One of the predominant characteristics of Tony''s life was his outstanding work ethic and his sense of providing for his family. It was common for Tony nad Rita to often perform "extra" work at the end of the day and during weekends to better his circumstances and provide the best possible for his family. Tony enjoyed gardening, watching his giant sunflowers blossom, riding his bike, and taking car rides around town while reminiscing his younger days while describing the scenery in Des Moines as to what it looked like when he was a youth. Another characteristic was his love of sporting events, and he found great pleasure predicting the winner of horse races.
Tony was richly blessed in many ways during life in this world with family and friends. He is survived by Rita, his wife of 58 years; daughter, Barbara Scott of Indianapolis and Mary of Des Moines; sons, Stanley (Anne) of Boston and Patrick (Teresa) of Des Moines; 13 grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren. His long time friend, Jim; brother-in-law, Archie, Mike from HyVee; and Arlo and the "gang" at Meredith were among his closest surviving friends, and he greatly appreciated their support until the end. He was preceded in death by his parents and sister, Helen Golob.
The convergence of family, friends and faith provided the focus of Tony''s life and values. Tony''s household always praised the Lord, come what may, and he always found ways to work through the many challenges and changes presented by a growing family and a changing world during his years on earth. He was so proud of his Lithuanian heritage, his roots in Des Moines, his work at Meredith, his friends and his family.
Anthony L. Mitchell was the only son of Veronica and Peter Mitchell, immigrants of Lithuania in the early 1900''s. His sister''s name was Helen. Tony was born in Des Moines on May 6, 1921. Tony ended his journey on this earth on October 7, 2004, at the ripe age of 83.
Tony was a life-long resident of Des Moines, IA and never entertained thoughts of leaving his much loved East Side. As a youth, Tony attended public schools in Des Moines and worked in various public works programs prior to enlisting in the US Army in 1941. Tony was always very proud of his service to the country while assigned to the 113 Calvary Unit, and defended his country as a platoon sergeant in the Pacific during World War II.
Tony was richly blesseed by the Lord when, following a long exchange of letters during the later parts of the war, he married Rita Elizabeth Reis in 1946 at Visitation Catholic Church in Des Moines. Tony and Rita often recounted the beginning their new life at government housing located in the old Fort Des Moines. Shortly afterwards, Tony and Rita purchased their first home near East High School and began their family.
Tony was always very proud of his work over 40 years in the press and mailing sections of Meredith Publishing Company, Until the very end, Tony maintained his relations with fellow worker-friends he established at that job, and always enjoyed the fellowship he found during his many noontime visits to the Meredith cafeteria during lunch to visit, network, and share the everyday joys and losses of his friends.
One of the predominant characteristics of Tony''s life was his outstanding work ethic and his sense of providing for his family. It was common for Tony nad Rita to often perform "extra" work at the end of the day and during weekends to better his circumstances and provide the best possible for his family. Tony enjoyed gardening, watching his giant sunflowers blossom, riding his bike, and taking car rides around town while reminiscing his younger days while describing the scenery in Des Moines as to what it looked like when he was a youth. Another characteristic was his love of sporting events, and he found great pleasure predicting the winner of horse races.
Tony was richly blessed in many ways during life in this world with family and friends. He is survived by Rita, his wife of 58 years; daughter, Barbara Scott of Indianapolis and Mary of Des Moines; sons, Stanley (Anne) of Boston and Patrick (Teresa) of Des Moines; 13 grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren. His long time friend, Jim; brother-in-law, Archie, Mike from HyVee; and Arlo and the "gang" at Meredith were among his closest surviving friends, and he greatly appreciated their support until the end. He was preceded in death by his parents and sister, Helen Golob.
The convergence of family, friends and faith provided the focus of Tony''s life and values. Tony''s household always praised the Lord, come what may, and he always found ways to work through the many challenges and changes presented by a growing family and a changing world during his years on earth. He was so proud of his Lithuanian heritage, his roots in Des Moines, his work at Meredith, his friends and his family.