Josephine "Jo" Mitchell

Josephine Friesen Mitchell – September 11, 1934-November 1, 2021

Jo was born in Texas County, Oklahoma, the daughter of Dietrich and Eva Friesen. She was of Dutch Mennonite descent with ancestors who had immigrated from Holland and Russia to settle in the Oklahoma Panhandle.  Jo was raised and educated in Oklahoma. While in high school, she played defense on the school’s six-person basketball team and played in a state final. After high school, she earned a Bachelors and Masters degree from Oklahoma State University where she studied Dietetics and Institutional Food Management. Upon graduating, the family moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico where she worked as a Dietitian at the VA Hospital and at the Lovelace Hospital on Gibson Boulevard until being named Director of Food Service at the Albuquerque Indian Health Hospital. At the Albuquerque Indian Health Hospital, she served for eight years running day-to-day operations at the hospital and traveling to various New Mexican tribes, reservations, and pueblos to hold workshops on health and nutrition. She then returned to Lovelace Hospital where she was named Director of Food Services and held that position for 13 years until she retired.

After retirement, she began her volunteer service to various causes and charities including the Republican Party of New Mexico. She served as Bernalillo County Secretary, two terms as County Chair, and Congressional District 1 Vice Chair for the state Republican Party for eight years. She served two terms as President of the Albuquerque Federated Republican Women and two terms as President of the New Mexico Federation of Republican Women President. She served one term on the National Federation Executive Committee. Jo was also appointed by New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson to the Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission where she served for eight years. Jo was a Patriot and believed in God and Family and loved her State and Country and continued to work and volunteer her time and experience up until her death.

Jo was a ground crew member for two transatlantic balloon flights, Double Eagle One and Double Eagle Two, one transcontinental balloon flight, the Kitty Hawk, and one around-the-world balloon attempt, the Jules Verne, where she served as the Dietician and Food Coordinator for the flight crews. Jo was an avid cook/chef and loved to cook and host dinner parties at her home with her husband Jim Mitchell. They both enjoying traveling and were avid Oklahoma State sports fans and enjoyed following the Oklahoma City Thunder pro basketball team.

Jo married James E. Mitchell on September 4, 1954, and they had recently celebrated their 67th wedding anniversary. Jo is survived by her husband Jim Mitchell of Albuquerque, NM; her son Barry Mitchell and his wife Lynn of Oklahoma City, OK; her son Richard Mitchell of Albuquerque, NM; and her sister Alforetta Friesen of Bethany, OK. She is also survived by her grandson Braden Mitchell and his wife Erin and great-grandsons Dakwann Brown-Mitchell and Darrell Washington-Mitchell of Oklahoma City, OK; her granddaughter Barrie Jo Kaiser and her husband Dan of Chicago, IL; and her granddaughter Brennan Davis and her husband Scott of Morgantown, WV. She is preceded in death by her parents, her brother Elden Friesen, and sister Herwanna Friesen.

There will be a private commemoration in Albuquerque at French’s Mortuary followed by a service and burial at Memorial Park Funeral Home and Cemetery in Oklahoma City (13313 N. Kelley Ave. Oklahoma City, OK 73131) at 2:00 pm Central time and 1:00 PM Mountain time on Thursday, November 11th.

A streaming option will be available through Memorial Park’s website (https://www.dignitymemorial.com) for those that wish to attend remotely.

The Family looks forward to gathering for a Celebration of Life once Covid 19 gathering, and mask restrictions have been lifted at which time they hope to announce The Josephine F. Mitchell Scholarship Fund.