Melvin W. Mitchell, age 85, of Dryden, NY went home to his Lord and Savior on Friday, December 8, 2017 at the Crown Park Care Center after a brief illness. Melvin was born January 26, 1932 in East Orange, NJ. He was the youngest son of the late James and Cora Staggs Mitchell. His family relocated to Tompkins County in 1942. At the age of 19 he began working for his brother-in-law at the Ithaca Dental Lab where he became the owner in 1984. He continued to work at the lab until becoming ill two weeks ago.
Survivors include his wife of 33 years, Marilou Dann Mitchell of Dryden and children, Edward (Norma) Mitchell of Pocomoke City, MD, Brian (Michele) Mitchell of Elmira, Gregory (Carol) Mitchell of Ithaca, Kevin Mitchell of Ithaca, Claud (Jessica) Mitchell of McGraw and Brenda Lee of Freeville; three siblings, Simon Mitchell of E. Orange, NJ, Cecelia Dunham of Trumansburg and Elaine Feagan of Ithaca; eight grandchildren and several great-grandchildren as well as nieces, nephews and cousins and extended family members.
Memorial services will be held at 11 AM, Friday, December 15, 2017 at Calvary Baptist Church, Harford, NY with Rev. James Owens officiating. Burial will be private in Green Hills Cemetery, Dryden. Perkins Funeral Home is assisting the family. Memorials, in lieu of flowers, are graciously directed to the Calvary Baptist Church, P.O. Box 8, Harford, NY 13784
Published in The Ithaca Journal on Dec. 9, 2017
Melvin Mitchell, of Dryden, has been creating smiles for a very long time. More than 60 years.
As the owner of Ithaca Dental Laboratory, Mitchell, 82, creates dentures and partial plates and has been doing that since he was a teenager. He doesn't plan to stop any time soon.
"I came in here when I was about 17," Mitchell said, "and I've been here ever since."
His brother-in-law, Arland Newman, who was married to his sister, Sybella, learned the trade in the Army, bought the business and hired Mitchell when he was a teenager.... Newman turned the business over to Mitchell in the mid 1980s.
In the dental lab, located in the Barr Building at 213 E. Seneca St. in Ithaca, Mitchell and his wife, Marilou, work in a room filled with grinders, polishers, and boxes of teeth. Everything is covered in a fine layer of white plaster dust. A world map hangs on the wall, and a TV is on in the corner. Melvin and Marilou each sit at a workbench only a few feet from each other....Kay Singh, manager of Tompkins Dental, said they have used the services of Ithaca Dental Laboratory since her husband bought Tompkins Dental in 2001. Singh said it's extremely useful having a local lab. If someone breaks their denture, Singh said, the patient can come into the office first thing in the morning and have their dentures back that evening....
Melvin enjoys his work.
"I can't retire," Melvin said, "what would I do?"
"Where does it say in the Bible you should retire?" Marilou asked.
"It doesn't," Melvin answered.
Each morning at 8:30 a.m. Melvin and Marilou watch "Through the Bible" with Les Feldick....Next to Melvin's workbench is a Bible. The pages are curled, and the cover is badly worn, with a crack in the leather that runs lengthwise down the middle, exposing the canvas backing beneath.
One of 12 children, Mitchell is the next to last. He grew up on a crop farm in Mecklenburg so he knows a bit about a strong work ethic. When he was done with school, his father told him, "You don't work, you don't eat."
Melvin chose to get a job off the farm; he wasn't fond of working with his father.
"He'd kill you, working on the farm," Melvin said, "We had a big farm."
Now, when he gets home, he goes upstairs and reads the Bible until dinner.
"I just like reading it," Melvin said.
Melvin said he often thinks about animals being in heaven. He used to have a Pekingese dog.
"I still wonder if someday I'll see her again. I don't know," Melvin said.
Melvin and Marilou, 65, have been married for 26 years and Marilou has worked at the bench next to Melvin for 30 years.
"I'm the newcomer," Marilou, said jokingly. Younger than Melvin by nearly two decades, Marilou giggled, "Age doesn't matter. Race doesn't matter."
...."I'm trying to slow down a little bit," Melvin said. "I'm going to see if I can make it 'til what my mother did, but 104 is a long ways to go. The Lord's been good to me. I can't complain."
About Melvin Mitchell
• Home: Dryden.
• Hometown: East Orange, N.J., and moved to Mecklenburg when he was 7.
• Education: High School.
• Age: 82.
• Family: Married to Marilou, has 6 kids, 10 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
• Employment: Ithaca Dental Laboratory, owner, over 60 years.
• Hobbies: Reading the Bible.
Extracted from "60 years of creating smiles for Ithaca," published in The Ithaca Journal on November 7, 2014
Survivors include his wife of 33 years, Marilou Dann Mitchell of Dryden and children, Edward (Norma) Mitchell of Pocomoke City, MD, Brian (Michele) Mitchell of Elmira, Gregory (Carol) Mitchell of Ithaca, Kevin Mitchell of Ithaca, Claud (Jessica) Mitchell of McGraw and Brenda Lee of Freeville; three siblings, Simon Mitchell of E. Orange, NJ, Cecelia Dunham of Trumansburg and Elaine Feagan of Ithaca; eight grandchildren and several great-grandchildren as well as nieces, nephews and cousins and extended family members.
Memorial services will be held at 11 AM, Friday, December 15, 2017 at Calvary Baptist Church, Harford, NY with Rev. James Owens officiating. Burial will be private in Green Hills Cemetery, Dryden. Perkins Funeral Home is assisting the family. Memorials, in lieu of flowers, are graciously directed to the Calvary Baptist Church, P.O. Box 8, Harford, NY 13784
Published in The Ithaca Journal on Dec. 9, 2017
Melvin Mitchell, of Dryden, has been creating smiles for a very long time. More than 60 years.
As the owner of Ithaca Dental Laboratory, Mitchell, 82, creates dentures and partial plates and has been doing that since he was a teenager. He doesn't plan to stop any time soon.
"I came in here when I was about 17," Mitchell said, "and I've been here ever since."
His brother-in-law, Arland Newman, who was married to his sister, Sybella, learned the trade in the Army, bought the business and hired Mitchell when he was a teenager.... Newman turned the business over to Mitchell in the mid 1980s.
In the dental lab, located in the Barr Building at 213 E. Seneca St. in Ithaca, Mitchell and his wife, Marilou, work in a room filled with grinders, polishers, and boxes of teeth. Everything is covered in a fine layer of white plaster dust. A world map hangs on the wall, and a TV is on in the corner. Melvin and Marilou each sit at a workbench only a few feet from each other....Kay Singh, manager of Tompkins Dental, said they have used the services of Ithaca Dental Laboratory since her husband bought Tompkins Dental in 2001. Singh said it's extremely useful having a local lab. If someone breaks their denture, Singh said, the patient can come into the office first thing in the morning and have their dentures back that evening....
Melvin enjoys his work.
"I can't retire," Melvin said, "what would I do?"
"Where does it say in the Bible you should retire?" Marilou asked.
"It doesn't," Melvin answered.
Each morning at 8:30 a.m. Melvin and Marilou watch "Through the Bible" with Les Feldick....Next to Melvin's workbench is a Bible. The pages are curled, and the cover is badly worn, with a crack in the leather that runs lengthwise down the middle, exposing the canvas backing beneath.
One of 12 children, Mitchell is the next to last. He grew up on a crop farm in Mecklenburg so he knows a bit about a strong work ethic. When he was done with school, his father told him, "You don't work, you don't eat."
Melvin chose to get a job off the farm; he wasn't fond of working with his father.
"He'd kill you, working on the farm," Melvin said, "We had a big farm."
Now, when he gets home, he goes upstairs and reads the Bible until dinner.
"I just like reading it," Melvin said.
Melvin said he often thinks about animals being in heaven. He used to have a Pekingese dog.
"I still wonder if someday I'll see her again. I don't know," Melvin said.
Melvin and Marilou, 65, have been married for 26 years and Marilou has worked at the bench next to Melvin for 30 years.
"I'm the newcomer," Marilou, said jokingly. Younger than Melvin by nearly two decades, Marilou giggled, "Age doesn't matter. Race doesn't matter."
...."I'm trying to slow down a little bit," Melvin said. "I'm going to see if I can make it 'til what my mother did, but 104 is a long ways to go. The Lord's been good to me. I can't complain."
About Melvin Mitchell
• Home: Dryden.
• Hometown: East Orange, N.J., and moved to Mecklenburg when he was 7.
• Education: High School.
• Age: 82.
• Family: Married to Marilou, has 6 kids, 10 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
• Employment: Ithaca Dental Laboratory, owner, over 60 years.
• Hobbies: Reading the Bible.
Extracted from "60 years of creating smiles for Ithaca," published in The Ithaca Journal on November 7, 2014
Melvin W. Mitchell, age 85, of Dryden, NY went home to his Lord and Savior on Friday, December 8, 2017 at the Crown Park Care Center after a brief illness. Melvin was born January 26, 1932 in East Orange, NJ. He was the youngest son of the late James and Cora Staggs Mitchell. His family relocated to Tompkins County in 1942. At the age of 19 he began working for his brother-in-law at the Ithaca Dental Lab where he became the owner in 1984. He continued to work at the lab until becoming ill two weeks ago.
Survivors include his wife of 33 years, Marilou Dann Mitchell of Dryden and children, Edward (Norma) Mitchell of Pocomoke City, MD, Brian (Michele) Mitchell of Elmira, Gregory (Carol) Mitchell of Ithaca, Kevin Mitchell of Ithaca, Claud (Jessica) Mitchell of McGraw and Brenda Lee of Freeville; three siblings, Simon Mitchell of E. Orange, NJ, Cecelia Dunham of Trumansburg and Elaine Feagan of Ithaca; eight grandchildren and several great-grandchildren as well as nieces, nephews and cousins and extended family members.
Memorial services will be held at 11 AM, Friday, December 15, 2017 at Calvary Baptist Church, Harford, NY with Rev. James Owens officiating. Burial will be private in Green Hills Cemetery, Dryden. Perkins Funeral Home is assisting the family. Memorials, in lieu of flowers, are graciously directed to the Calvary Baptist Church, P.O. Box 8, Harford, NY 13784
Published in The Ithaca Journal on Dec. 9, 2017
Melvin Mitchell, of Dryden, has been creating smiles for a very long time. More than 60 years.
As the owner of Ithaca Dental Laboratory, Mitchell, 82, creates dentures and partial plates and has been doing that since he was a teenager. He doesn't plan to stop any time soon.
"I came in here when I was about 17," Mitchell said, "and I've been here ever since."
His brother-in-law, Arland Newman, who was married to his sister, Sybella, learned the trade in the Army, bought the business and hired Mitchell when he was a teenager.... Newman turned the business over to Mitchell in the mid 1980s.
In the dental lab, located in the Barr Building at 213 E. Seneca St. in Ithaca, Mitchell and his wife, Marilou, work in a room filled with grinders, polishers, and boxes of teeth. Everything is covered in a fine layer of white plaster dust. A world map hangs on the wall, and a TV is on in the corner. Melvin and Marilou each sit at a workbench only a few feet from each other....Kay Singh, manager of Tompkins Dental, said they have used the services of Ithaca Dental Laboratory since her husband bought Tompkins Dental in 2001. Singh said it's extremely useful having a local lab. If someone breaks their denture, Singh said, the patient can come into the office first thing in the morning and have their dentures back that evening....
Melvin enjoys his work.
"I can't retire," Melvin said, "what would I do?"
"Where does it say in the Bible you should retire?" Marilou asked.
"It doesn't," Melvin answered.
Each morning at 8:30 a.m. Melvin and Marilou watch "Through the Bible" with Les Feldick....Next to Melvin's workbench is a Bible. The pages are curled, and the cover is badly worn, with a crack in the leather that runs lengthwise down the middle, exposing the canvas backing beneath.
One of 12 children, Mitchell is the next to last. He grew up on a crop farm in Mecklenburg so he knows a bit about a strong work ethic. When he was done with school, his father told him, "You don't work, you don't eat."
Melvin chose to get a job off the farm; he wasn't fond of working with his father.
"He'd kill you, working on the farm," Melvin said, "We had a big farm."
Now, when he gets home, he goes upstairs and reads the Bible until dinner.
"I just like reading it," Melvin said.
Melvin said he often thinks about animals being in heaven. He used to have a Pekingese dog.
"I still wonder if someday I'll see her again. I don't know," Melvin said.
Melvin and Marilou, 65, have been married for 26 years and Marilou has worked at the bench next to Melvin for 30 years.
"I'm the newcomer," Marilou, said jokingly. Younger than Melvin by nearly two decades, Marilou giggled, "Age doesn't matter. Race doesn't matter."
...."I'm trying to slow down a little bit," Melvin said. "I'm going to see if I can make it 'til what my mother did, but 104 is a long ways to go. The Lord's been good to me. I can't complain."
About Melvin Mitchell
• Home: Dryden.
• Hometown: East Orange, N.J., and moved to Mecklenburg when he was 7.
• Education: High School.
• Age: 82.
• Family: Married to Marilou, has 6 kids, 10 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
• Employment: Ithaca Dental Laboratory, owner, over 60 years.
• Hobbies: Reading the Bible.
Extracted from "60 years of creating smiles for Ithaca," published in The Ithaca Journal on November 7, 2014
Survivors include his wife of 33 years, Marilou Dann Mitchell of Dryden and children, Edward (Norma) Mitchell of Pocomoke City, MD, Brian (Michele) Mitchell of Elmira, Gregory (Carol) Mitchell of Ithaca, Kevin Mitchell of Ithaca, Claud (Jessica) Mitchell of McGraw and Brenda Lee of Freeville; three siblings, Simon Mitchell of E. Orange, NJ, Cecelia Dunham of Trumansburg and Elaine Feagan of Ithaca; eight grandchildren and several great-grandchildren as well as nieces, nephews and cousins and extended family members.
Memorial services will be held at 11 AM, Friday, December 15, 2017 at Calvary Baptist Church, Harford, NY with Rev. James Owens officiating. Burial will be private in Green Hills Cemetery, Dryden. Perkins Funeral Home is assisting the family. Memorials, in lieu of flowers, are graciously directed to the Calvary Baptist Church, P.O. Box 8, Harford, NY 13784
Published in The Ithaca Journal on Dec. 9, 2017
Melvin Mitchell, of Dryden, has been creating smiles for a very long time. More than 60 years.
As the owner of Ithaca Dental Laboratory, Mitchell, 82, creates dentures and partial plates and has been doing that since he was a teenager. He doesn't plan to stop any time soon.
"I came in here when I was about 17," Mitchell said, "and I've been here ever since."
His brother-in-law, Arland Newman, who was married to his sister, Sybella, learned the trade in the Army, bought the business and hired Mitchell when he was a teenager.... Newman turned the business over to Mitchell in the mid 1980s.
In the dental lab, located in the Barr Building at 213 E. Seneca St. in Ithaca, Mitchell and his wife, Marilou, work in a room filled with grinders, polishers, and boxes of teeth. Everything is covered in a fine layer of white plaster dust. A world map hangs on the wall, and a TV is on in the corner. Melvin and Marilou each sit at a workbench only a few feet from each other....Kay Singh, manager of Tompkins Dental, said they have used the services of Ithaca Dental Laboratory since her husband bought Tompkins Dental in 2001. Singh said it's extremely useful having a local lab. If someone breaks their denture, Singh said, the patient can come into the office first thing in the morning and have their dentures back that evening....
Melvin enjoys his work.
"I can't retire," Melvin said, "what would I do?"
"Where does it say in the Bible you should retire?" Marilou asked.
"It doesn't," Melvin answered.
Each morning at 8:30 a.m. Melvin and Marilou watch "Through the Bible" with Les Feldick....Next to Melvin's workbench is a Bible. The pages are curled, and the cover is badly worn, with a crack in the leather that runs lengthwise down the middle, exposing the canvas backing beneath.
One of 12 children, Mitchell is the next to last. He grew up on a crop farm in Mecklenburg so he knows a bit about a strong work ethic. When he was done with school, his father told him, "You don't work, you don't eat."
Melvin chose to get a job off the farm; he wasn't fond of working with his father.
"He'd kill you, working on the farm," Melvin said, "We had a big farm."
Now, when he gets home, he goes upstairs and reads the Bible until dinner.
"I just like reading it," Melvin said.
Melvin said he often thinks about animals being in heaven. He used to have a Pekingese dog.
"I still wonder if someday I'll see her again. I don't know," Melvin said.
Melvin and Marilou, 65, have been married for 26 years and Marilou has worked at the bench next to Melvin for 30 years.
"I'm the newcomer," Marilou, said jokingly. Younger than Melvin by nearly two decades, Marilou giggled, "Age doesn't matter. Race doesn't matter."
...."I'm trying to slow down a little bit," Melvin said. "I'm going to see if I can make it 'til what my mother did, but 104 is a long ways to go. The Lord's been good to me. I can't complain."
About Melvin Mitchell
• Home: Dryden.
• Hometown: East Orange, N.J., and moved to Mecklenburg when he was 7.
• Education: High School.
• Age: 82.
• Family: Married to Marilou, has 6 kids, 10 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
• Employment: Ithaca Dental Laboratory, owner, over 60 years.
• Hobbies: Reading the Bible.
Extracted from "60 years of creating smiles for Ithaca," published in The Ithaca Journal on November 7, 2014
Family Members
Siblings
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Anna B Mitchell Thomas
1911–2007
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Sherman W. Mitchell
1915–1992
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Syvella/Sybella Mitchell Newman
1916–1993
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Marie O. Haithcox
1920–1990
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Wilbur T. "Willie" Mitchell
1922–2014
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Simon Peter Mitchell
1924–2018
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Mildred E Riddick
1925–2004
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Lewis W. "Mitch" Mitchell
1926–2000
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Elaine Helen Elizabeth Mitchell Feagin
1933–2023
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Cecelia Mitchell Dunham
unknown–2022
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