Mary Lea Mitchell celebrates 104

On Saturday, Aug. 30, Mary Lea Mitchell celebrated her 104^th birthday. A resident of the Bangs Nursing Home, she was taken to her home in Trickham for the occasion. Upon her arrival in Trickham her family and friends were lined up in front of her house wearing yellow T-shirts decorated with sunflowers. Cake, ice cream and punch were served to those attending.

Mary Lea was born on Aug. 29 in Smiley to Jennie King Passmore Griffin and Charlie Thomas Griffin. Around 1921, the family moved to the Ross Boothe Ranch in Live Oak County near Swinney Switch where her father was the ranch foreman.

While living there she attended school in Dinero, Jarrett and Boothe. After finishing high school at Boothe she went to Corpus Christi to attend Draughons Business School, graduating in 1931. In March 1932 she married Orran Vass “Buck” Mitchell in Corpus Christi. Later that year they moved to Trickham.

Attending her party were Cathy Moya, Diane Jones and Melissa Hutson from the Bangs Nursing Home; Delburn and Vicki Rice of Trickham; Thomas and Marilyn Rutherford of Whon; Pat and Roberta McShan of Trickham and Barbara Reinhardt of Austin. Family members present were daughters Betty Miller and husband Damon of Austin and Lea Mock of Post; grandchildren Pam Garret and husband Richard of Buda, Angela Swann and husband Darryl of Buda, Damon J. Miller II and wife Debi of Austin and Jennie Stitt of Orcutt, Calif.; great-grandchildren Christopher Cabiya of Austin, Josh Cabiya of Austin, Leslie Garrett of Buda, Becky Allen and husband Phillip of Dallas, Ashley Miller of Brownwood, Caleb Swann of Buda and Logan Miller of Austin. There were three great-great-grandchildren attending, Kyla Cabiya, Noah Mitchell Cabiya and Lizzy Cabiya.