Obituary

Mitchell, Edwin Rhea, Mrs. (Frances Beth Hampton)

Frances Beth Mitchell, 94, of Lubbock, Texas passed away at her Grand Court home. A celebration of life will be held on Monday, Jan. 4, 2016, at 11 a.m. in Sanders Memorial Chapel with Rev. Kenneth Staton officiating. Burial will follow in Plainview Memorial Park with Larry Mitchell of Bovina officiating. She was born Nov. 14, 1921, in Floydada, Texas, to Malachi Francis Hampton and Benny Brand Hampton. Her father died in 1934 and her mother in 1938. She was an only child. After her mother's death she moved to Plainview, Texas, and lived with Elizabeth Klinger and Walter Klinger, relatives. She graduated from Plainview High School and then from Texas Tech with a BBA degree in 1943. She then married her college sweetheart, Edwin Rhea Mitchell on Aug. 14, 1943. He was a flight instructor at Lamesa Military Flight Academy. The base closed a short time later. They then moved to Dallas where Rhea was a pilot for Braniff Airways for 3 ? years. They then moved to Lockney, Texas, and farmed there until he was killed in a tragic plane crash on Feb. 9, 1953. They had two children, Wesley Rhea Mitchell and Sandra Kay Mitchell. Later, she was school secretary for Plainview school district and was also a secretary for the Plainview Police Department until she moved to Lubbock in 1970. She then held the position as department head for the Registration Office at Texas Tech until retirement in 1972. She resided in Lubbock since that time. Beth loved flower gardening, making floral arrangements, playing table games and shopping. She is survived by her children, Wesley Rhea Mitchell and wife Nancy of Lubbock, and daughter Sandra Griffith and husband Jack of Sitka, Alaska, and Maui, Hawaii. She was also blessed with three grandchildren, Tonya Renee Griffith of Stevensville, Montana, Gregory Rhea Mitchell and wife Hauna of Doylestown, Pennsylvania, Preston Mitchell and wife Dawn of Manassas, Virginia; and six great-grandchildren.