May 31, 1911 - June 30, 2009

Lucille A. Mitchell, 98, of Sterling, passed away Tuesday, June 30, 2009, in Chesterfield, Mo. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, July 9, at Chaney-Reager Funeral Home, with family receiving friends from 4 to 6 p.m. Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Friday, July 10, at Christ United Methodist Church, with the Rev. Derek DeToni-Hill. Interment will be at Riverside Cemetery.

She was born May 31, 1911, to Albert H. and Ethel Tetsell of Sterling. Upon graduating from Sterling High School, she attended Colorado State College of Education, now the University of Northern Colorado. She resumed her college education at UNC in the 1950s and Lucille A. Mitchell completed her bachelor's degree in education.

In 1934 she married Herman A. Swedlund, born in Haxtun, who died in 1953. After living in Sacramento, Portland, Denver, and Seattle, she returned to Sterling in 1953, where she taught in the Sterling schools and then substitute taught into her 80s.

In 1961, Lucille married James L. Mitchell of Sterling. James Mitchell died in 1979.

Lucille was a life-long member of Christ United Methodist Church in Sterling, of which her grandfather was a founding member when it was first built on the corner of Main and Fourth Streets. She was a member of P.E.O., Pan Hellenic, AAUW, and the Logan County Literacy Coalition.

Lucille and her two sisters continued to own the A.H. Testsell Farm and Ranch, north of Sterling, and Lucille managed the farm until her 92nd year. The family farm was designated a Colorado Centennial Farm by the Colorado Historical Society, having been in continuous ownership by members of one family since 1885.

Lucille's first love was her children and grandchildren. Taking after her father, she also loved gardening and particularly roses. But her real passion, beyond family and her students and career in teaching, was travel. Either with her sisters, or her children, she managed to visit virtually all of the U.S., South and Central America, Europe, Thailand, China, the Caribbean, and North Africa, as well as her favorite destination in the States, Hawaii. Even well into her 90s she loved to plan family trips.

Mrs. Mitchell is survived by her daughter, Elaine L. Frost and husband Bob of St. Louis, Mo.; and her son, Alan C. Swedlund and his wife M.A. of Deerfield, Mass.; as well as her five grandchildren, Leslie Frost of Durham, N.C., Robert Frost and wife LaDona of Corvallis, Ore., Bert Frost and wife Dana of Wilmette, Ill., Sara Swedlund and husband Adam Carter of Bend, Ore., and Jennie Macallister and husband Mark of Osterville, Mass.; and 11 great-grandchildren. In addition, she is survived by two step-children, Dr. James W. Mitchell and wife Joann of Fort Collins and Janet Mitchell Marsh and husband Bud of Tacoma, Wash.; six step-grandchildren and 10 step-great-grandchildren. In recent months she especially enjoyed seeing her step-grandchild, James Kauffman and wife Jennifer of St. Louis, and their young son, Henry.

Mrs. Mitchell is also survived by her two sisters, Lorraine Marsteller, widow of Robert Marsteller, of La Canada, Calif., and Lois Ethel Reavis and husband Gene of El Cajon, Calif., and their four children, Loren, Marlys and Duane Marsteller, all of California, and Larry Reavis of Virginia.

In lieu of flowers, family members suggest contributions in her name to Christ United Methodist Church, 104 S. Fourth St., Sterling, CO 80751, or Hospice of the Plains, 100 Broadway, Suite 1A, Sterling, CO 80751.