Mary Atkinson Mitchell

Writer And Lifelong Learner

Contributed To Community

Mary Mitchell, 98, of Newtown, died September 9, at Lockwood Lodge Assisted Living. She was born March 12, 1912, in Minneapolis, Minn., the daughter of Dorothy (Bridgman) and Frederick G. Atkinson.

After graduating in 1933 from Wellesley College with a major in history and English, she traveled abroad to pursue a career in journalism. She lived with families in Munich and Freiburg, and then traveled to Berlin and Poland, sending letters to her hometown newspaper, The Minneapolis Tribune.

She was the published author of several books and photo essay books about Georgetown, written during the 35 years that she lived in Washington, D.C. with her husband, the late attorney William Mitchell, and her family, prior to moving to Connecticut in 1987: Chronicles of Georgetown Life, 1865–1900; Glimpses of Georgetown, Past and Present; Washington: A Portrait Of A City; Annapolis Visit; Divided Town; and A Walk In Georgetown. Her writing career also included works published in newspapers and magazines, including The Saturday Evening Post.

Mrs Mitchell was best known locally for her extensive writings on local history and persona, many of those books co-authored with her good friend, the late Al Goodrich, as well as for her active participation in community organizations, and for her inquisitive nature that inspired many of her books and essays.

Mrs Mitchell co-authored Newtown’s Trails with Mr Goodrich, now in its fifth edition, which was the inspiration for Mr Goodrich’s decision to attempt to blaze a single through-town trail that would combine many existing trails with adjacent town-owned open spaces, Newtown Forest Association land, public utility land, state park lands, and riverside greenways. The ten-mile long trail officially opened September 3, 2005.

The couple also wrote The Remarkable Huntingtons, Chronicle of a Marriage, the story of the marriage late in life of Archer Huntington, a New York City millionaire philanthropist, and Anna Hyatt, an artist and sculptor of Greenwich Village. More than 250 sculptures created by Ms Hyatt can be found in parks, museums, schools, and other public places across the United States and around the world. Ms Hyatt’s sculpture of Lincoln on horseback was a gift to the Bethel Library. Huntington Park, which occupies portions of Redding, Bethel, and Newtown, is a legacy of the Huntingtons, as well.

Touring Newtown’s Past: The Settlement and Architecture of an Old Connecticut Town consists of maps, photographs, and text by Mrs Mitchell and Mr Goodrich of historic homes in Newtown and Sandy Hook. The book serves as a guide for walking tours for those interested in the more than 200 homes built before 1826 that remain in town.

Mrs Mitchell was a member of FISH of Newtown for many years, driving residents to medical appointments free of charge, and belonged to the Flagpole Photographers Club, where she originally met Mr Goodrich, her good friend and hiking companion. She was also active with Trinity Episcopal Church. Along with Mr Goodrich, Mrs Mitchell served as the Grand Marshal of the Newtown Labor Day Parade in 2001.

A trained discussion leader, she led reminiscence sessions at senior centers, churches, and rehabilitation facilities, designed to spark the cognitive benefits of nostalgia. Mrs Mitchell initiated a book group at Lockwood Lodge upon becoming a resident there in 2007, realizing the importance of keeping the mind active and of social interaction for senior citizens.

Mrs Mitchell continued to write and remained involved in town affairs, even in her later years. She wrote 39 biographies of local authors for the celebration of Newtown’s local authors, held in June of 2007, at the C.H. Booth Library. That year, at the age of 94, she also published Exploring Newtown’s Land of Serendip, a bibliography of the 50 states that reaches beyond the usual travel book fare. The bibliography guides readers to music books, art books, maps, and works of poetry about each state, which are available in the library.

“Mary had an intense and unrelenting curiosity about people and the natural world,” recalled C.H. Booth reference librarian Andrea Zimmermann, who spent many hours visiting with and working with Mrs Mitchell. “She loved a good book and lively conversation. She was a critical thinker — a rare find these days — and this was reflected in her thoughtful and thorough works as a journalist and author. Mary was a generous friend to me, as well as the community.”

Mrs Mitchell provided seed money of $5,000 for the Heritage Preservation Handicapped Access Fund to The Heritage Preservation Trust in 2007, kick starting the drive for funding to make the Newtown Meeting House on Main Street handicapped accessible. In 2008, a wheelchair ramp was installed in the building, and in January this year, she attended the opening ceremony celebrating the installation of a handicapped entry elevator in the Newtown Meeting House.

Three daughters, Dorothy “Dottie” Evans and her husband, John, of Newtown, Constance Mitchell of Cincinnati, Ohio, and Charlotte Merritt Mitchell of Middlefield survive Mrs Mitchell, as do her beloved grandchildren Sarah Cassidy Evans Karasch and her husband, Boris, of Buffalo, N.Y., John M. Evans III and his wife, Elaine Dimopoulos of Arlington, Mass., and William Mitchell Evans of Bethel. She is also survived by one nephew.

A memorial service will be scheduled for a future date.

Memorial donations may be made to the Newtown Historical Society, PO Box 189, Newtown CT 06470, or to Kevin’s Community Center, 153 South Main Street, Newtown CT 06470.

Honan’s Funeral Home, 58 Main Street, Newtown, is in charge of arrangements.

The Newtown Bee        September 10, 2010