In Loving Memory of Clarence Mitchell, March 18, 1932-September 8, 2017, Friday, September 15, 2017, 1:00 p.m., Jackson-McWhorter Funeral Home Chapel, 1253 West Broad Street, Athens, Georgia 30606, Rev. Ronnie Swoopes, Sr., Officiating, Oconee Baptist Church, Athens, Georgia

We little knew that morning That God would call your name.
In life, we loved you dearly; In death, we do the same.
It broke our hearts to lose you, But you did not go alone;
For part ofus went with you the day God called you home.
You left with beautiful memories, Your love is still our guide,
And though we cannot see you, You are always by our side.
Our family chain is broken And nothing seems the same, But as God calls us one by one,
The chain will link again.
~Author Unknown

Kenneth Charles Matthew Charles Dwayne Crawford
Keith Owens

DerekElam Otis Elam Roy Long

Karen Charles

Joyce Elam

Rachel Charles

Mariah Elam

Diane Chester

Katrinia Long

Sharon Owens

Ae~AD~
The family of Clarence Mitchell wishes to express heartfelt appreciation for your many acts of kindness, love, support and encouragement during this difficult time. We especially express our gratitude to the Boulder Park Estates Community, Cascade United Methodist Church, Chestnut Grove Baptist Church, Dr. Linda C. Couture, The Golden Girls, Living Water Christian Fellowship, Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church and Oconee Baptist Church.
A special thank you is extended to the staff of Summerset Assisted Living Community and the staff of Astoria Hospice for the compassionate care that you provided to Clarence. Your kindness enriched his life and gave us comfort and strength. May God continue to richly bless you all.
INTERMENT
East Lawn Memorial Cemetery, Athens, Georgia
REPAST
Living Water Christian Fellowship, Athens, Georgia
IN CHARGE OF ARRANGEMENTS
Jackson-McWhorter Funeral Home, Athens, Georgia

Clarence Mitchell was the oldest of three children born to the late Tom Mitchell and Pearl Crawford in Oglethorpe County, GA. Affectionately called "Jake" by his uncles, as a child he enjoyed riding his bicycle and swimming in "Clarence's Creek" pond - a small water creek that he dammed up and made himself. Clarence's least favorite thing to do was fetching water from the well. Anytime his mother told him to bring water to the house, Clarence would either hide behind a tree or carry one of sisters (Lenora or Juanita) on his back to the well, con them into drawing the water and then take the bucket of water back to his mother as if he drew the water himself.
At the age of 14, Clarence accepted Christ and was baptized at Oconee Baptist Church. He graduated from Athens Industrial High School and received his Bachelors of Science Degree in Business from Clark College in Atlanta, GA. Clarence was a committed family man. He was also very frugal and conservative. However, when it came to his hobby of being a Ham/CB radio operator, communicating with other Ham operators from all over the world and collecting vinyl music albums and audio/stereo equipment - Clarence would spare no expense filling his "Man Cave" with the latest and greatest. As a member of the '1\udiophiles", a local social club comprised of zealous music lovers, Clarence and the other members participated in community service programs and activities.
Clarence was a baseball enthusiast and an avid fan of the Atlanta Braves. He was in the electrified, sell-out crowd at the Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium when Hank Aaron hit his 715th home run, breaking Babe Ruth's record. For years, Clarence coached the Royals and Tigers little league baseball teams for the Cascade Youth Organization (CYO) at Adams Park.
Clarence was honored to serve in the United States Army and fought side by side with other brave soldiers in the Korean War. He received recognitions including the Occupation Medal (Germany), National Defense Service Medal and the Good Conduct Medal just to name a few. Before his retirement, Clarence worked as a Letter Carrier for the United States Postal Service for 33 years and was an active member of the National Association of Letter Carriers. He received numerous recognitions and awards for outstanding mail delivery. He was most proud to receive the Southern Region United States Postal Service Special Achievement Award in recognition of notable performance in rescuing a customer from a burning house and containing the fire until the Fire Department arrived preventing further damage to the home, car and saving a life. This award commended Clarence's disregard for personal safety, his coolness under pressure, his dedication to duty and his conscientious concern for his fellow man.
Clarence was preceded in death by his parents, Tom Mitchell and Pearl Crawford, and his sister, Lenora M. Turner. He leaves to cherish his memory, his loving wife of 54 years, Eleanor Dawson Mitchell; daughters, Barbara A. Sims and Elnetta D. Mitchell; sister, Juanita M. Long; brother-in-law, Chauncer Turner (Lenora) and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives and friends.

Prelude ............................ Michael Bolton
Processional
Greetings
Scriptures:
Old Testament (Psalm 23) Rev. Joyce E. Banks Gross
Cascade United Methodist Church, Atlanta, GA
New Testament (John 14:1-6). ... Rev. Terry Jackson
Shiloh Baptist Church, Athens, GA
Invocation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rev. Abraham Mosley
M t. Pleasant Baptist Church, Athens, GA
Solo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Orlando Patterson
Reflections: (two minutes) .. Herbert Chennault, Friend
Roy Long, Nephew Mae F. Walter, Church member and cousin
Solo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Orlando Patterson
Eulogy ...................... Rev. Wilson Lattimore
Chestnut Grove Baptist Church, Athens, GA
Acknowledgments Recessional

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Loss never gets easier not even as we grow older. Whether loss due to time, illness, or a difference of opinions - it still has its effects. We recollect and reminisce about the joys, the pains, the love, and the perseverance as we struggled to make life something valuable and memorable.
While a very natural and real part of life, death is the end goal for us all. It is what we do with the time and those moments between breaths - our first and our last - that bears the most weight, importance, and is our cause. To live well and to love freely, teaching, mentoring, and sharing space, time, and attention to create and build us up. Molding and shaping us into who and what we may choose and decide to become. Providing examples of what it means to be human, to be family, to just be. No full amount of consoling can replace the physical presence and knowledge, but the memories of laughter, love, and life will give us the strength, resolve, and purpose to carry on with great hope and determination.
Today, let us take time to mourn and give thanks to those who have come before us blazing the trail in hopes of creating a better world for us and for those yet to come. May we carry on their legacy and do our best to do what is righteous and just, built on human decency and in love, light, and truth. For in that we shall make the day great and become ever greater within it. Stay up; Stay focused; Stay grounded.
Thank you, Uncle Clarence; for your love, dedication, and service to your family, this Nation, and the world through your laughter, your love, and trips in and around Atlanta, especially to the park, in the back of your yellow Toyota pickup truck. May we carry on in your legacy with pride and strength as you rest in eternal peace.
"Jon Jon"
Lieutenant commander Jonathan Long United States Navy