Mitchell, Bernice
5/8/2021
Bernice Mitchell, 81, was born in New Orleans, LA, on October 27, 1939, to Richard and Lucille Compton and passed away on May 8, 2021, in Stillwater, OK. Following high school graduation, she worked in a department store while attending secretarial school. She and Earl Mitchell were married during his senior year at Xavier University. Following his graduation, they moved to East Lansing, MI, where Earl earned his MS and Ph.D. in biochemistry. In 1967, the Mitchell family moved to Stillwater after Earl accepted a temporary research position at OSU. Bernice became involved in the League of Women Voters in addition to beginning college at age 33. Bernice organized a group of women students who were either returning to college or beginning college. This organization later became the OSU Women's Council. Following her graduation with honors, she went to work for Presiding District Judge, Ray Wall, as the bailiff. With Judge Wall's authorization, she organized a citizen's review board to help some convicted felons with an alternative to incarceration. She was elected as a Payne County Commissioner, a position she held for two terms. Bernice volunteered to head a county-wide citizens' group to develop a taxing plan for county roads that enabled Payne County voters to approve the road tax every six years. She also played an important role in the creation of the Mission of Hope and the Stillwater Domestic Violence Center. Bernice served on the Governor's Committee on the Status of Women. In addition, she also served as Vice President of the National Women's Political Cacus. Bernice received several awards, including Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame inductee, the OSU Women's Council Alumnae Award, and the Carl Albert Award, the highest honor bestowed by the Democratic Party. Bernice was preceded in death by her parents, her brother, Earl, and her sister, Ramona Skipper. She is survived by her husband, Earl, three children, Karen Mitchell, Doug Mitchell (Dr. Sharlene Matten), and Michael Mitchell (Tera), as well as by six grandchildren and a great-grandchild.