James Doyal Mitchell (Bolivar)'s Obituary
James Doyal Mitchell was born to Howard and Emily (Dover) Mitchell on February 10, 1940. He grew up with his ten brothers and sisters in Alabama. Later he moved to the Independence, Missouri area. In 1960, while working for Blankenship and Sons Moving Company, he met the love of his life, Martina Regenbrecht. They fell in love and were married on September 25 of that same year. To this union five children were born: Carrie, Glen, Renee, Richard and Sarah.
While living in Independence he loved bringing his family to Pomme de Terre Lake to camp, fish and swim every weekend possible. He always dreamed of living near the lake. That dream brought his family to the Sentinel area in 1970. He didn’t know it at the time, but it was the Lord guiding him to an area where he would later find a church and begin a new life. James had been convicted as a boy in Alabama but had not found the Lord. On May 16, 1973, while attending a revival meeting in Springfield he was drawn to the altar and saved. He was baptized and joined Sentinel Missionary Baptist Church on July 22, 1973, where he was a member at the time of his passing. On July 28, 2023, one month after the death of his loving wife, James went to meet the Lord at the age of 83 after a lingering illness.
Although James Doyal had many jobs in his life and was a mechanic by trade. He retired from Prime Inc. in Springfield Missouri as a diesel mechanic. However, his greatest pleasures were fishing, hunting and gardening. He loved to grow vegetables, fruit, flowers, trees and anything else he could get to grow from the earth. He enjoyed tinkering with old vehicles and other machinery.
He is preceded in death by his beloved wife Martina Mitchell, father Howard, mother Emily, brothers; JT Mitchell, Travis Mitchell, Dick Mitchell, Donald Jones and Larry Mullinex, father-in-law Walter Robert Regenbrecht, mother-in-law Helen Grace Regenbrecht, brothers-in-law; Bunk Blankenship, Don Whitmeyer, Walter (Bub) Regenbrecht and Victor Briauca, sisters-in-law; Nell Mitchell, Frank Mitchell, Sandra Kay Regenbrecht and Trudy Gosnell and beloved nieces and nephews.
Survivors include children; Carrie and husband Kris Turpin, Glen and wife Josie, Renee and husband Jeff Shelenhamer, Richard and wife Christy, Sarah and husband Chris Reynolds. 12 grandchildren; Stephen Turpin, Jordan Turpin, Tina and husband Erik Milan, Brittaney and husband George Carr, Garret Shelenhamer, Clayton Mitchell, Ethan Reynolds, Emily and husband Levi Richards and Erica Reynolds. 6 great-grandchildren; Chevelle, Brayden and Kaden Turpin, Lyric, Harmony and Cadence Payton. His sisters; Okla Faye Martin, Anita Whitmeyer, Rebeca Mullinex and Rebia Howe, brother Landon Mitchell, sisters-in-law Vicki Briauca and Linda Regenbrecht brothers-in-law; Melvin Gosnell, a host of nieces, nephews, family and friends who will miss him greatly.
Funeral services for James will be held at 2:00 PM on Monday, July 31, 2023, at Butler Funeral Home in Bolivar. A visitation will be held one hour prior to the service, from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM. Interment will follow in Sentinel Cemetery in Polk, Missouri. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Sentinel Cemetery.
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