John "Eldon" Mitchell's Obituary
John "Eldon" Mitchell, 81, a resident of Ridgecrest Village in Davenport, passed away Friday, May 22, 2015. Services in celebration of his life will be held 11:00 AM Saturday, June 6, 2015 with visitation from 5-8 PM Friday, June 5, 2015 at Brigham Funeral Chapel, Lakeview, Michigan. Interment will be in the Hillcrest Cemetery, Six Lakes. Memorials may be made to the Jeff Mitchell Scholarship Fund, North Scott High School, Eldridge, Iowa, or the donor's choice.
Eldon was born in 1934 in Lakeview, Michigan, a son of John and Allie Mitchell. On October 24, 1954, he was united in marriage to the love of his life, Oriene Johnson and together they raised five children. Oriene preceded him in death on January 29, 2010.
While in Michigan, Eldon was a service engineer with General Electric. In 1972, the family moved to Eldridge, Iowa,where he worked with Leeds and Northrup until his retirement.
Eldon was a nurturing father who was very involved in his children's and grandchildren's activities. He enjoyed woodworking and created several pieces for his family. He enjoyed playing Santa Claus at Christmas time for many years. As a sportsman, Eldon enjoyed fishing and hunting as well as bowling and playing golf. Many late nights, filled with great memories, were had playing cards with family and friends. He was an avid reader of Zane Gray cowboy westerns, which he could read over and over and still enjoy every word. Eldon was born into a musical family and passed this love of music on to his children.
He will be lovingly remembered by his children, John Eugene Mitchell, Cape Fair, MO, Judy (Brad) Shoemaker, Scottville, MI, Teresa (Dennis) Claussen, Long Grove, IA and Terry (Suzan) Mitchell, Woodward, IA; 9 grandchildren, 3 great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews. Eldon always placed his family first.
In addition to his parents and his wife, Oriene, Eldon was preceded in death by a son, Jeffrey, a sister, Ardis and a brother, Gary.
The family would like to thank Dr. Thomas Lyons, the nurses and staff at Ridgecrest Village and Genesis Hospice for their compassionate care.
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