AUDRA L. MITCHELL

WINTERS - Audra L. Mitchell, 88, of Winters died Monday, June 27, 2005, at his residence.He was born Feb. 6, 1917, to Martin Luther Mitchell and Nancy Elizabeth Yancy Mitchell. He was raised on the family farm near Pumphrey and lived there all his life, save for his college years. He graduated from John Tarleton College and Texas Tech University with degrees in agronomy. After the death of his father in 1937, he began farming, a vocation he continued until ill health forced his retirement. He married Lila Smith on April 29, 1939.His mother died when he was 8 years old and his dad died when he was 19 years of age, so home and family were always special to him. He was a farmer and cattleman as well as being active in his community. He served on the Winters ISD school board for 12 years, the hospital board, Runnels County water board and the board of directors of the old Winters State Bank. He was a member of Pumphrey Baptist Church for 40 years and the First Baptist Church for 26 years, serving as a deacon for a total of 62 years in both churches. Survivors include his wife of 66 years, Lila Mitchell of Winters; sons Mike Mitchell and wife Linda of Winters and A.L. Mitchell and wife Carol of Houston; daughters Marilyn Tock and husband Bob of Spring Branch and Elizabeth Young and husband Garner of Coleman; granddaughter Julie Mitchell Innmon of Dallas; grandsons Jason Mitchell of Winters, Doug and Denise Mitchell of Houston, Stephen and Lydia Young of Bruni, Jeff and Kathy Young of Albuquerque, N.M., David and Lea Ann Rock of Comfort and Colonel Tony Rock and wife Kim of Langley Air Force Base, Va.; great-grandsons Chase Mitchell, Jeffrey and Drew Innmon, Trevor and Ethan Young, J.D. Rock and Bennett and A.J. Rock; great-granddaughters Peyton Mitchell and Meggie Rock; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by two sisters, Zora Hill and Ila Conner; and by his youngest grandchild, Justin Ryan Mitchell.In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the Justin Ryan Mitchell Scholarship Fund at the State National Bank in Winters.Family visitation will be at 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 29, at Winters Funeral Home. Service will be at 3 p.m. Thursday, June 30, at First Baptist Church in Winters, Texas, with the Rev. Barry Taylor, the Rev. Ferris Akins and the Rev. Truman Turk officiating. Burial will be in Fairview Cemetery. Pallbearers will be George W. Woodfin, Weldon Holbrooks, Billy Joe Celburn, Pyburn Brown, G.W. Sneed, Bill Cathey, Clifton Poe, Monte Angel and Randall Sneed. Honorary pallbearers are members of the Jess Shaw Sunday school class and their teacher, Dennis McBeth.