Vernon "Red"

Dale Mitchell

Vernon was born March 7, 1927, to Jack Mitchell and Bonnie (Wilkins) Mitchell in Dibble, OK.  He grew up on a farm Southwest of Dibble.  He attended grade school at Dibble.  He attended Blanchard High School. In 1945 he skipped his senior year of High School and joined the Navy and served his country during the last year of World War II.  He returned to Blanchard and on May 29, 1948, he married Betty Dugger.  They immediately moved to Oakland, California where he was employed at Stokely Cannery and Betty worked at Montgomery Ward. After they returned to Blanchard, Vernon worked at his own mechanic shop, worked a short time at Tinker AFB, and later at the Blanchard Post Office as a clerk and later a rural route carrier.  He retired in 1982 from the post office. Vernon was active in the community by coaching little league baseball. In fact, he was able to coach Gary, Daryl and Brent.   Vernon and Betty were lifelong members of the Blanchard Methodist Church. Vernon and Betty bought a farm on the S.E. corner of Blanchard and built and operated the East Park Village mobile home Park and the Handy Shop, a convenience store and restaurant.  He and his sons started Mitchell and Sons Construction Company.  They developed South Park Village and built new homes. Vernon was also a partner in BMSW Construction with Doyal Beckham, Herman Simmons, and Billy Rene Wilson.  Later, he partnered with John Sill, Billy Rene Wilson, and Doyal Beckham as home builders and developers.

Vernon loved to hunt and fish. He and his family and friends spent lots of time camping, boating, and water skiing.

He is preceded in death by his father and mother, Jack and Bonnie Mitchell, and his brothers Jeff Mitchell, Willie Mitchell, and his sister Georgia Ruth Ratliff.

Survivors include his wife Betty Jo (Dugger) Mitchell, his three sons Gary and wife, Debbie, Daryl, and Brent Mitchell, all of Blanchard. They had six grandchildren: Amy Mitchell Sparks and husband David, Michael Mitchell and wife Kristi, Steven Mitchell and wife Laura, Chad Mitchell, Haley Mitchell Eades and husband Michael, and Nathan Mitchell and wife Kambry. They had eight great-grandchildren: Reese, Rhyan (Skeeta), Ava, Clay, Silas, Paisley, Cashe, and Jagger, all of whom he loved dearly.

A funeral service will be held at 10:00 A.M., Wednesday, March 1, 2023, at the Eisenhour Funeral Home Chapel in Blanchard. Burial to follow at the Blanchard Cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of Eisenhour Funeral Home of Blanchard. Online obituary and guestbook are available at www.eisenhourfh.com.