On April 5th, about noon, our honored and loved mother, Carol Mitchell passed away in her husband's loving arms.

That night, he did not sleep. On the contrary, he wrote seven sonnets to her.  Here they are.
And yes, she was that magnificent a person, and much more!

SEVEN SONNETS TO THE LOVE OF MY LIFE
by Will David Mitchell

#1
Beloved wife, with faith so pure and bright,
Your daily prayers ascend like morning dew.
In Scripture's depths you sought the Lord's true lignt,
A heart that served our friends and strangers too.

For sixty-one blessed years, your hand in mine,
A greasure rare beyond all earthly worth.
Your soul with holy passion did so shine,
A witness to God's grace upon this earth.

Dear Carol, how your gentle spirit soared
Above the cares that weight on mortal hearts.
Your life, a psalm of praise unto our Lord,
God's masterpiece of faith in all its parts.

Though words fall short to paint your virtue's hue,
My gratitude remains forever true.

#2
My Carol, flame that sets my soul alight!
Your fervent prayers, like incense, filled our home.
The Word you clasped through morning's gentle light
And evening's hush, God's truth you made your own.

For sixty-one wild years of love devine,
I watched your spirit dance with Heaven's grace.
Your heart, a vessel where God's light could shine,
Revealed in every line upon your face.

How fiercely did you love both friend and foe!
With Christ-like hands that served without restraint.
Your passion burned with such a steady glow,
A living gospel, not of words, but saint.

My treasure, rarest gift from God above,
My heart forever burns with grateful love.

#3
Your spirit blazed with faith's consuming fire!
Each dawn, you knelt, face glowing in the light.
Your whispered prayers, such holy, pure desire!
God's Word transformed your vision, blessed your sight.

For sixty-one years clasped in love's embrace,
I watched, amazed, as Christ shone through your soul.
Each action sang the wonders of His grace,
Your heart for friend and not, so fierce, so whole!

What passion marked that time of fervent prayer!
What love poured forth from Scripture's treasured page!
Your radiance, a pearl beyond compare,
A testament to faith through every age.

My Carol! Gift divine from God above!
My heart still burns with wild, unending love!

#4
With prayers like flame, your heart sought God each day,
Your spirit steeped in Scripture's sacred light.
Through sixty-one blessed years, you showed the way
To serve both friend and guest with pure delight.

Each moment spent in worship, deep and true,
Your Bible worn from hours of faith-filled quest.
The Word of God transformed all that you knew,
Your life proclaimed His truth with humble zest.

What joy to call you mine through all these years!
What grace to walk beside your steadfast heart!
Your love for Christ shone bright through smiles and tears,
A masterpiece of faith from every start.

My Carol, rarest gift from God above,
My soul still burns with deep and unquenched love.

#5
I watched you kneel in prayer at break of dawn,
Your Bible spread across your faithful hands.
For sixty-one rich years, your love shone on,
A beacon bright through life's uncertain lands.

Your loving heart touched friend and stranger both,
Your spirit soared on wings of faith divine.
To serve our Lord, you kept your sacred oath,
A gift beyond the fleeting bounds of time.

What joy to walk beside you, saint each day!
What honor to be called your loving spouse!
Your passion for God's Word showed me the way,
Your prayers brought Heaven's presence to our house.

I thank the Lord who blessed me with your love,
My treasure here, and now in realms above.

#6
Your morning song poured through our bedroom blind,
As psalms fell soft and sweet from lips I loved.
The way you traced each verse with heart and mind
Revealed the Lord you served and prized above.

Deep prayers rose up like incense from your soul,
Your Bible marked with notes on every page.
Through sixty-one blessed years, you made me whole,
Your wisdom grew more precious with each age.

I watched in awe as kindness filled your hands,
To neighbors, friends, and all who crossed our door.
Your faith stood firm when life changed all our plans,
Each day with you left me in love still more.

Though words fall short to paint what you could see,
My Carol's love, God's precious gift to me.

#7
Not in the stars, but in your eyes I found
The map that showed my heart its truest home.
Your Bible worn, with margins filled and crowned
With thoughts that matched the heights where angels roam.

You rose each day to greet our Lord in prayer,
Your voice a hymn that stirred the morning lights.
Through sixty-one sweet years, beyond compare,
Your faith's a flame that burned through darkest nights.

I watched in awe as love poured from your hands,
To all who crossed the threshold of our door.
Your heart beat wth the rhythm of God's plans,
Each day with you left me in love for more.

Thought time claimed you, it could not take your grace.
In all I do, I see your shining face.

Love,
David MItchell