Betty Mitchell Obituary

BRYSON CITY - Betty Jean Edmonds Mitchell, 96, went home to be with the Lord Friday, Jan. 17, 2025.
Betty was born Aug. 5, 1928, in Buncombe County to Edgar and Rachel Eller Edmonds. She was raised mainly in Asheville area before the family moved to Ohio where she graduated high school. Her family left Ohio to move to Bryson City around the end of the war and she followed several months later.
Upon coming to Bryson City, it wasn't long before she met Raymond Mitchell. They married on Aug. 5, 1946. Together they owned and operated R.E. Mitchell General Merchandise. After closing the store, she continued doing secretarial work for Heritage Quilts/Tuckasegee Mills and then NC Child Support Enforcement until she retired.
Betty loved sewing, working in her yard, cooking to feed family and friends and in the recent years feeding her wildlife friends (Brownie the deer and all the wild turkeys). The couple and their girls were always active in their home church. She taught Sunday School on multiple levels for about 60 years with the majority of those years teaching adult ladies classes. She resigned her most recent class at the age of 85. She helped with Bible schools, regular visitation, running routes to bring folks to church when there were no buses and any help she could provide around the church. She has been a member of the Harmony Baptist Church since 2001. Her faith proclaimed verse is found in II Timothy 1:12.
Betty is survived by their daughters, Pat (Richard) Sawyer, Nita (Charles) Payne and Bavaria "Boo" (Mike) Holcomb; six grandchildren; 13 greatgrandchildren; two great-greatgrandchildren; many nieces, nephews, extended family and friends; and sister-in-law, Clara "Teetle" Edmonds.
We also have some that the world may say "they aren't blood family" but we've always known that Denise Douthit Parker is our baby sister and Jim Douthit is our brother. Cousins also become sisters and brothers for many reasons, Georgiana and Mitch Carson and Sandra Moore. Betty has been known as daughter, sister, mother, aunt and grandmother to several, but there are many that call her Momma Betty because that's who she was. You didn't have to be related to know you could call her that and she would always answer.
We would like to express our gratitude to any one of you that took the time to visit with Betty and encourage her on her journey the last few years. We want to say THANK YOU to Mountain View Manor staff for your love, care and concern for her these last few months. May God bless you all.
For those of us who loved her and knew her best, we will say, "We love you a bushel and a peck, a bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck, a barrel and a heap and we will see you another day soon."
Funeral services were held at 6 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 21 at the Harmony Baptist Church. Pastor Tony Cochran officiated. The family received friends from 4 to 5:45 p.m., Tuesday at the Harmony Baptist Church. A private family burial will be held at Swain Memorial Park at a later date.
In lieu of flowers the family would love donations to be made to Harmony Baptist Church to send Bibles to BEAMS in Betty's memory.