Marian Houston Mitchell

Family will receive friends on Friday, March 31, 2023 at 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. and again on Saturday, April 1, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. until time of service at 11:00 a.m. at Friendship Baptist Church, 1775 W. Broad Street, Columbus, OH 43223. Entombment: Greenlawn.

Marian Houston Mitchell was born on Friday, September 20, 1929, in Davisboro, Georgia, to
Bessie Mae Hayles and Clarence Houston. Marian attended Mount Zion Elementary School in
Davisboro. As a high school senior, she moved to Atlanta, Georgia, to live with her father’s
oldest brother, Rev. Matthew Houston, and graduated from David T. Howard High School.

Marian H. Mitchell was baptized, at an early age, at Mt. Zion A.M.E. Church, in Davisboro,
Georgia. After moving to Atlanta, she attended Corinth Baptist Church, Atlanta, Georgia, under
the pastorate of Rev. Sanders. Blessed with a beautiful soprano voice, Marian sang in the choir
and also had the opportunity to publicly share her gift by singing on the radio.

Miss Marian Houston married Mr. John H. Mitchell on Sunday, April 9, 1950, on her mother-in-
law’s, Gertrude Myrick, front porch in Atlanta, Georgia. Early in their marriage, they experienced
the loss of two sons, both died at their birth. Following John Mitchell’s honorable discharge from
the Navy, he and Marian moved to Columbus, Ohio, where they were blessed with two more
sons, Jimmy Decovan Mitchell and Melvin Douglas Mitchell.

As a young housewife and mother, Marian found employment with various Columbus
companies before retirement. She worked at Varsity House, Shipcraft, Ford Motor Company,
and Westinghouse.

Marian had a kind and gentle spirit. She enjoyed helping people. Marian was a loving
homemaker and babysitter. She was always willing to care for her elderly neighbors, including
doing their grocery shopping as needed. During the declining years of her mother, Bessie,
Marian was a very loving and attentive caregiver. She and her sister, Helen, semi-annually
rotated the responsibility of full-time care for their mother. Marian was known for her bountiful
apple and peach trees, sharing the harvest with family and friends. She was also known for her
homemade ice cream, which was a family favorite.

Upon moving to Columbus, Marian visited many churches, such as Gay Street Baptist Church,
pastored by the late Rev. U. G. Campbell, and Refuge Baptist Church, pastored by the late Rev.
R. F. Hairston, Sr. However, she ultimately united with Friendship Baptist Church in 1964, under
the pastorate of the late Rev. R. T. Gleaves. Marian was a faithful member of Friendship
Missionary Baptist Church for over 59 years.

Marian sang in the Friendship Chorus, where she also served as a very accurate Secretary for
many years. She beautifully led several songs, including ‘”Can You Walk,” “One More River to
Cross,” “Jesus is Waiting,” and “Jesus, Oh What a Wonderful Child.” Marian was also a member
of the Pastoral Choir under the direction of the late Martha Abbott, and later, under the direction
of Marian’s son, Melvin. The Friendship Chorus and Jubilee Choir merged together in 1989,
forming the Friendship-Jubilee Choir, where Marian remained a faithful member until the time of
her passing. Marian could be counted on to sing with the choir for every Celebration of Life
service held at Friendship. She joyfully assisted with repasts for Male Chorus and Adult Choir
anniversary services and Vacation Bible School. She was active in the Women’s Fellowship
Ministry and was part of the Ruth Circle. When the church doors opened, morning, noon, or
night; you could expect to find Marian Mitchell sitting in her ‘assigned’ seat . She was never
late, rather normally the first to arrive.

Blessed with 93 years of life, our beloved Marian H. Mitchell entered into eternal rest on Friday,
March 10, 2023, at OhioHealth Grant Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio. She was predeceased
by her grandparents, Jessie Hayles and Polly Anne Stephens Hayles; mother, Bessie Mae
Hayles; father, Clarence Houston; beloved husband of 48 years, John H. Mitchell; brother,
Clarence Hayles; uncle, Rev. Matthew Houston; brothers-in-law, Hosea Asberry Jr., Joseph
Mitchell, Roy Mitchell, Harold Mitchell, and Charles Myrick; mother-in-law, Gertrude Mitchell
Myrick; nephew, Archie Mitchell; cousins, Rosa M. Jarvis, Nellie Kendrick, Maude F. Houston,
and Christine Wells; special friends, Cameal Smith, Lucille Fitts, Lucille Nelson, Alice Jennings,
and Ruth Bell; and a host of aunts and uncles from the Houston and Hayles families.

Marian leaves to cherish her memory her loving and caring sons, Jimmy D. Mitchell and Melvin
D. Mitchell; beloved sister, Helen Louise Asberry of Fort Washington, Maryland; devoted
granddaughter, Sherri Nicole Nelson-Mitchell; nieces, LaShaon (Elvis) Asberry-Beach of Fort
Washington, Maryland, Angelita Mitchell, Kasoneya Storey, and Stephanie Myrick Evans, all of
Atlanta, Georgia; nephews, Harold Mitchell, Robert Mitchell, John Mitchell, all of Weatherford,
Texas, Terrell Myrick of Atlanta, Georgia, and Chad Myrick of Columbia, South Carolina; great
nieces, Alexis and Aliyah Beach, both of Fort Washington, Maryland; cousins, Stephanie
Hopkins of Brooklyn, New York, Maudestine Bell of Mesa, Arizona, Myrtice Taylor of Atlanta,
Georgia, and Almon J. Adams of New Castle, Delaware.

Marian will also be fondly remembered by special friends, Mary Jinks and Lydia Short, both of
Columbus, Ohio, Norma Brown of Pittsford, New York, and Jeanette Canada of Auburn,
Alabama; a host of other relatives and dear friends; including the Roberts and Hayles families
and the Friendship Jubilee Choir.

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