Eveylene B. Mitchell February 10, 1929 - September 9, 2023

Eveylene Bennett Mitchell started life’s final journey home on Saturday, September 9th, 2023, when she passed peacefully at the family farm in Kuna, Idaho.

Her journey began as the oldest of 5 children, born to Fannie and Elzie Bennett from the city of Eva, in Morgan County, Alabama. This is where she spent her youth. The Bennett gang (as Eveylene referred to them) suffered the loss of their father, Elzie in 1937, when she was just 9 years old—leaving the family to learn how to persevere through hard work and resilience. She graduated from the Eva Alabama School system in the spring of 1947. Shortly after, the Bennett gang moved all the way to Idaho.

Later on, she and her friends, Mary Nell and Geneva, moved to Indiana, where they got jobs and set the building blocks for lifelong friendships. At some point during those years, Eveylene and her family met Allan and Jean Mitchell, who would play a key part in her future. During the Korean War, she started receiving letters from a G.I. named J.J. (who also went by Jay), who had asked his older brother Allan if he and Jean knew of a nice girl he could write to. Well, that was it for them both. J.J. returned from Korea, jumped in a car, drove to Indiana, and picked up Eveylene. They were married in Biloxi, Mississippi on August 4th, 1952. From there, they went to Fort Hood for J.J. to complete his service, then back to Gulf Port, Mississippi, where they had Magnolia Farms until their move to the Northwest.

In 1962, Eveylene and Jay adopted their first child, Allana Jean, while in the Vale, Oregon area. Then, in 1966, they adopted their second child, James Robert, while living in Meridian at JMK Farms. Many happy memories were made working with her family on the farm in Meridian, and even more at the family farm in Kuna, Idaho—which they purchased in the summer of 1976. After moving to Kuna, she started her career at Mercy Medical Center as a phlebotomist, and retired from there in the mid ‘90s.

Eveylene was a faithful Church of Christ member throughout her life, and alongside Jay, worked with many congregations. They were a great husband and wife team, and very hard workers. Between their full-time jobs, working with the church, farming (Jay’s true calling), and family, most people today couldn’t keep up with the schedules they had.

She and Jay were blessed with their first grandchild, Audrey Jean, on September 12, 1981, and then with their second, Travis James, on December 1, 1992. The grandkids were it as far as Eveylene was concerned, and she and Jay were able to spend all the time they needed with them to spoil, help raise, and support them in every endeavor. Both grandkids feel extremely lucky to have grown up with such loving, supportive and involved grandparents.

Like we said about Jay being happiest on a tractor, Eveylene was happiest working in her yard or garden, cooking, and entertaining. Many hours were spent around the dining room table or out on the porch—snapping beans, peas, shucking corn, and peeling peaches for canning. If you came to visit while this was going on, you had to participate or leave and come back after it was done. Most everyone participated because they knew they would be fed—and she was a great cook. If you left the Mitchell house hungry, it was your own fault.

Eveylene is survived by her daughter Allana (Ron) Bauer of Kuna, granddaughter Audrey (Lou) Miller of Nampa, Travis Bauer of Kuna and sister Willadean Bennett of Dallas, Texas. She is also survived by multiple cousins, nieces, and nephews throughout the country. She was preceded in death by her son, James R. Mitchell, her beloved J.J., her father Elzie, her mother Fannie, brother Kermit, and sisters June and Helen.

She is no longer suffering or brokenhearted, and is now her best self, in the arms of the Lord.

A visitation will be held, 10:00 am, Monday, September 18, 2023 at Bowman Funeral Parlor, 10254 W. Carlton Bay Dr., Garden City, with the funeral service beginning at 11:00 am. A committal service will follow at Dry Creek Cemetery, 9600 Hill Rd., Boise.

To attend the service virtually please visit https://www.bowmanfuneral.com/livestream/   password: bowmanlive