Obituary for Dianne T Mitchell
Dianne T. Mitchell, 70, formerly of Emporia, Virginia, and then of Charlotte, North Carolina, departed from her life here on Saturday, May 23, 2020, to enter her Heavenly home for eternity. She had waged a valiant battle with congestive heart failure, diabetes, and other related complications.
She is survived by her faithful husband of 52 years, Keith W. Mitchell; son Lance W. Mitchell and wife Cheryl, and granddaughter Emerson, of Houston, Texas; son Sean K. Mitchell and wife Shannon, and grandchildren Silas, Ezra, and Clara, of Charlotte; a sister, Janet T. Clarke and husband Edward of Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina; a brother, James H. Tindall and wife Carole of Houston; and several nieces and nephews.
Greeting her in her new eternal home are a grandson, Jude James Mitchell; her parents, Dorothy and Harold Tindall; a sister, Kathy T. Bailey; a special mother-in-law, Dorothy R. Mitchell; and so many other special friends and fellow believers whom she loved dearly.
Dianne was born and raised in Marion, South Carolina. She moved to Emporia during her senior year in high school, after the plant that her daddy managed in Marion was destroyed by fire, and he was transferred to Emporia to manage a plant there. During that same time period, Keith was sitting out a semester in college after the sudden death of his daddy. Even then, God was working out a plan in their lives for their paths to cross (Romans 8:28). They met, fell in love, and were married a few short months later.
In 1976, Dianne was the first to surrender her life to Jesus, followed by Keith a few short months later. Their sons, too, did likewise when they were young, and the four of them traveled all over the United States to attend Christian gatherings of believers. They were baptized at the same time at Calvary Baptist Church in Emporia, Virginia.
Many years later, after Lance and Sean had moved away and married, Dianne and Keith returned to Monumental Methodist Church in Emporia, where Keith had grown up and he and Dianne had attended when Lance and Sean were young. They taught a Sunday school class together until they moved to Charlotte four years ago. On several occasions, Dianne was asked to speak at various churches and Christian ladies’ groups, attesting to her love for the Lord. For 10 years, she conducted Christian services at a nearby ladies’ prison, and for several years, she and her family held weekly services at a local nursing home. Dianne was also a long-time member of the DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) and served excellently for several years as the treasurer in her regional chapter.
Dianne operated Christian Love & Care Daycare center for many years, where she instilled so many Christian values into the children she kept, many of whom became believers in their later years in part due to her witness to them. Some years later, she went to work for Keith in his financial services business, and his business immediately increased.
In January of 2016, she had a device attached next to her stomach to help in the digestion of food. She suffered from gastroparesis, a side effect of diabetes, and even with a limited diet, she was at least then able to get the nutrients necessary to live. But in December of that year, she had to undergo emergency surgery for a blockage, thought to have been caused by the wires from that device becoming entangled around her colon. Three days later, she suffered a heart attack, which left the left ventricle of her heart severely damaged. When it failed to repair itself, she had a device attached next to her heart and a PICC line inserted through her arm to feed medicine directly to the heart to assist that ventricle in pumping.
She was also told that the survival rate for people who began that treatment was about 50 percent after the first year. She was offered the opportunity to receive an artificial pump or possible transplant, but she turned it down and said that she wanted to live out whatever time she had left enjoying being with her family, and especially her grandchildren, without undergoing more hospitalization and risky surgery should she elect that route. Though she suffered many ups and downs with her heart, diabetes, and other related illnesses, she did beat the odds and survived for 19 more months after having that procedure done. She never returned to a hospital until the day she breathed her last, with Keith at her side.
Dianne’s sister, Janet, told Keith the night after she died that Dianne had told her a year ago that she was ready and anxious to go and be with the Lord, but that she did not think Keith was ready for her departure. The night before she died, Keith asked her that if she had a choice, would she want to go ahead then and be with the Lord. She nodded her head and said yes. He told her that he was willing to pray with her for that, and their prayer together was answered.
That, alone, demonstrates the unselfishness of this strong and faithful servant of the Lord. And now, She has risen!
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the Billy Graham Evangelical Association in her name at https://billygraham.org/checkout/give-honor-memorial.php, and a card can be sent to Keith Mitchell at 3305 Open Field Lane, Apt 528, Charlotte, NC 28226. You can also contact BGEA directly and mail a check to 1 Billy Graham Parkway, Charlotte, NC 28201, or over the phone at 1-877-247-2426.
A memorial service for friends and family will be held later in Charlotte.
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She is survived by her faithful husband of 52 years, Keith W. Mitchell; son Lance W. Mitchell and wife Cheryl, and granddaughter Emerson, of Houston, Texas; son Sean K. Mitchell and wife Shannon, and grandchildren Silas, Ezra, and Clara, of Charlotte; a sister, Janet T. Clarke and husband Edward of Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina; a brother, James H. Tindall and wife Carole of Houston; and several nieces and nephews.
Greeting her in her new eternal home are a grandson, Jude James Mitchell; her parents, Dorothy and Harold Tindall; a sister, Kathy T. Bailey; a special mother-in-law, Dorothy R. Mitchell; and so many other special friends and fellow believers whom she loved dearly.
Dianne was born and raised in Marion, South Carolina. She moved to Emporia during her senior year in high school, after the plant that her daddy managed in Marion was destroyed by fire, and he was transferred to Emporia to manage a plant there. During that same time period, Keith was sitting out a semester in college after the sudden death of his daddy. Even then, God was working out a plan in their lives for their paths to cross (Romans 8:28). They met, fell in love, and were married a few short months later.
In 1976, Dianne was the first to surrender her life to Jesus, followed by Keith a few short months later. Their sons, too, did likewise when they were young, and the four of them traveled all over the United States to attend Christian gatherings of believers. They were baptized at the same time at Calvary Baptist Church in Emporia, Virginia.
Many years later, after Lance and Sean had moved away and married, Dianne and Keith returned to Monumental Methodist Church in Emporia, where Keith had grown up and he and Dianne had attended when Lance and Sean were young. They taught a Sunday school class together until they moved to Charlotte four years ago. On several occasions, Dianne was asked to speak at various churches and Christian ladies’ groups, attesting to her love for the Lord. For 10 years, she conducted Christian services at a nearby ladies’ prison, and for several years, she and her family held weekly services at a local nursing home. Dianne was also a long-time member of the DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) and served excellently for several years as the treasurer in her regional chapter.
Dianne operated Christian Love & Care Daycare center for many years, where she instilled so many Christian values into the children she kept, many of whom became believers in their later years in part due to her witness to them. Some years later, she went to work for Keith in his financial services business, and his business immediately increased.
In January of 2016, she had a device attached next to her stomach to help in the digestion of food. She suffered from gastroparesis, a side effect of diabetes, and even with a limited diet, she was at least then able to get the nutrients necessary to live. But in December of that year, she had to undergo emergency surgery for a blockage, thought to have been caused by the wires from that device becoming entangled around her colon. Three days later, she suffered a heart attack, which left the left ventricle of her heart severely damaged. When it failed to repair itself, she had a device attached next to her heart and a PICC line inserted through her arm to feed medicine directly to the heart to assist that ventricle in pumping.
She was also told that the survival rate for people who began that treatment was about 50 percent after the first year. She was offered the opportunity to receive an artificial pump or possible transplant, but she turned it down and said that she wanted to live out whatever time she had left enjoying being with her family, and especially her grandchildren, without undergoing more hospitalization and risky surgery should she elect that route. Though she suffered many ups and downs with her heart, diabetes, and other related illnesses, she did beat the odds and survived for 19 more months after having that procedure done. She never returned to a hospital until the day she breathed her last, with Keith at her side.
Dianne’s sister, Janet, told Keith the night after she died that Dianne had told her a year ago that she was ready and anxious to go and be with the Lord, but that she did not think Keith was ready for her departure. The night before she died, Keith asked her that if she had a choice, would she want to go ahead then and be with the Lord. She nodded her head and said yes. He told her that he was willing to pray with her for that, and their prayer together was answered.
That, alone, demonstrates the unselfishness of this strong and faithful servant of the Lord. And now, She has risen!
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the Billy Graham Evangelical Association in her name at https://billygraham.org/checkout/give-honor-memorial.php, and a card can be sent to Keith Mitchell at 3305 Open Field Lane, Apt 528, Charlotte, NC 28226. You can also contact BGEA directly and mail a check to 1 Billy Graham Parkway, Charlotte, NC 28201, or over the phone at 1-877-247-2426.
A memorial service for friends and family will be held later in Charlotte.
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