Ina Mitchell

Ina Marie Mitchell, 92, of Shawnee, Oklahoma, passed from this life on September 6, 2023.  She was surrounded by her family during her last hours here on this earth.
Ina was born to Bill and Gertie Ong on August 12, 1931.  She attended school in Wewoka, Oklahoma.  She loved to tell stories of her growing up years in Wewoka with her cousins and friends.  There she began her life legacy of love, faith and family which would continue throughout her life.
It was in Wewoka that Ina first met a handsome young man named Bill Mitchell.  She and Bill fell in love and were married on April 23, 1953.  They made their first home together and gave birth to their one and only son, Billy Joe Mitchell.  Billy was their pride and joy and they built a life in Tecumseh, Oklahoma, where they raised him and taught him to have strong belief in love, faith and family.
Ina held several jobs throughout her life including working at the Wewoka Drugstore and the Wewoka Garment factory.  Her time spent as a secretary alongside her husband, Bill, as managers and operators of Mistletoe Express was her life occupation.  Bill and Ina worked together at the trucking company first at the Shawnee location and for many years at the Muskogee location.  While working in Muskogee, Bill and Ina lived out a lifelong dream of living on the lake.  Eufaula Lake became their home where they spent weekends entertaining family, boating, skiing, drinking coffee outside on the patio and spending time with those they loved most.  Many memories were made there.  In 1997, they returned home to Tecumseh to enjoy daily life with their kids and live out their retirement.
Next to the name mom, grandma was a name that meant the most to Ina.  She loved to take her granddaughters shopping and spoiling them with whatever they wanted.  She loved talking, telling stories and laughing for hours, even when it was past their bedtime.  Ina shared her faith with her family by teaching, singing and listening to old hymns.  She trusted Jesus as her Savior and was baptized on November 20, 1960.  Ina was a member of First Baptist Church Tecumseh.  She loved her friends there and they demonstrated the love of Christ to her.
The name of grandma was changed to Nanu when she became a great grandma in 1999.  The remainder of her life she found joy in loving grandkids and taking part in each activity they were involved in.  She loved entertaining them with stories, a game of checkers, walks in the yard, bird watching and anything else they could think up for a good time.  She was an important part of the lives of each of them and shared with them her strong sense of love, faith and family.
Ina taught everyone she came in contact with the value of loving deeply and made it known by saying it every time she was with you.  She was a reflection of unconditional love and opened her home to many who just needed a safe place to fall during tough times, an ear to listen and was always willing to prepare and share a great meal.
Those remaining to carry on her legacy of love, faith and family are her son, Billy Joe Mitchell and his wife, Janell; two granddaughters, Brandi Burks and her husband, Dennie Burks, and Hope Whitney and her husband, Craig Whitney, all of Tecumseh, Oklahoma; her great grandchildren, Parker Joe Dickson, Graham Dickson, Maddox Dickson, Elise Whitney and Ella Whitney.
Her life and legacy will be celebrated on Friday, September, 22, 2023, at 10:00 am at AE Funeral Services Chapel, 603 West Independence Steet, Shawnee, Oklahoma 74804.