Doris Louise Mitchell

Doris Louise Mitchell 1912-2011

Doris Louse Mitchell peacefully passed on the evening of March 1, 2011 at RooLan Heathcare in Lacey, WA. She was born December 30, 1912 to Arthur Ellis Blackman and Emma Georgine Gunderson at their ranch in Collbran, CO. She was the fifth of seven children and grew up among the pines and pioneers of the high mountains in the Western Rockies.
Doris attended school in Collbran and Grand Junction, CO. In August 1930 she married Frank Ivy. The marriage did not last and in 1940, she married Lowell Ernest (Mitch) Mitchell. At that time, Mitch, Doris, and her son Marvin moved to Thurston County, WA. She spent most of her 64 year marriage as a homemaker.
Doris and Mitch were members and officers of the Lacey Daisys Square Dance Club and Round-A-Abouts Round Dance Club in Olympia. She was an accomplished seamstress, creating many stunning dancing outfits for the two of them and other dancers. Other interests included fishing, gardening, needlework, and reading. She and Mitch were early members of the Moose Fraternal Lodge in Olympia where she served as an officer several times. Upon Mitch's retirement in 1973, they traveled annually to Desert Hot Springs, CA with square dancing friends. In 2001, she and her daughter flew to England and Scotland to visit her grandson's family and explore the countryside.
Doris was the last of her siblings to pass on. She lost her beloved Mitch in 2004 and her daughter Rowena Hutchison in 1997. She is survived by her son, Marvin Ivy, Collbran, CO and daughter, Gloria Morrison, Olympia, WA. She leaves behind grandchildren: Janice Hollarhan, Burley, ID; Becky Garrett, Declo, ID; Karen Marie Ivy, Las Vegas, NV; Donald Marvin Ivy, Las Vegas, NV; Kristi Canfield, Olympia, WA; Eric Knutsen, Sheffield, England; and Robert Murphy, Olympia, WA. Numerous other step grandchildren and great grandchildren will miss her.
A memorial service will be held Thursday, March 10, 2011 at 1:00 p.m. at the Mills and Mills Chapel in Tumwater. Please send donations to the Olympia Choral Society, P.O. Box 504, East Olympia, 98540-0504.