James (Jim) Fay Mitchell (age 93), of Hollister, Missouri
James (Jim) Fay Mitchell (age 93), of Hollister, Missouri, after a long battle with Alzheimer's, finished his race August 21, 2026.
He was born May 6, 1933, was adopted from St. Cloud Hospital in St. Cloud, Minnesota, at six weeks of age by Clarence and Clara Mitchell of rural Akeley, Minnesota. He graduated from Akeley High School and later attended Trinity Bible College and the University of Minnesota.
At 17 years old, Jim attended a Bible conference at Medicine Lake, Minnesota, that changed the course of his life. There, he met his Lord and Savior and dedicated his life to serving Him. When Jim returned home and shared that he had become a born-again Christian, his mother gently warned him not to go overboard and suggested he would get over it in a couple of weeks. Instead, the transformation in his life was so genuine and dramatic that his family could not deny the reality of his faith. Through Jim's testimony, his parents also came to accept Christ as their Savior and soon helped plant a new Evangelical Free Church in Grand Marais, Minnesota. This was only the beginning of a lifetime devoted to serving the Lord and impacting countless lives through his faith.
While attending Trinity Bible College in Chicago, Illinois, Jim became a member of the school quartet, touring throughout the western United States. He returned from one of those tours just in time to marry the love of his life, Lillian Gustafson, on August 8, 1953.
Drafted into the U.S. Army in 1954, Jim served 17 months in Korea. Following his active-duty service, he continued serving in the Army Reserve and later spent seven years in the Navy Reserve as a corpsman.
Jim's passion for serving the Lord was the foundation of his life. His career as a postal worker for 17 years and later as the owner of Mitchell Furniture store in Waseca, Minnesota, provided the flexibility to pursue ministry and church leadership. He helped establish Grace Evangelical Free Church in Fridley, Minnesota, and later served as a church-planting pastor at Faith Church in Austin, Minnesota.
Jim was deeply involved in the North Central District of the Evangelical Free Church. He was often found visiting district churches, carrying out leadership responsibilities, and sharing his musical gifts through singing and playing the saxophone. He also served as Chairman of the Board for Camp Shamineau in Motley, Minnesota.
Jim was blessed with many talents. He possessed an exceptional tenor voice, played the saxophone beautifully, and was a skilled carpenter who enjoyed solving all kinds of challenging projects. Many of his creative endeavors were inspired by his artistic designer daughter, the late Jody Mitchell Nelson.
Jim was also an avid bicyclist. Over 45 years, he logged more than 140,000 miles on his bicycle, and yes, he kept track! Many thousands of those miles were spent pulling his beloved little Bichon, "Mikey," in a bicycle cart, creating memories and drawing smiles wherever they traveled.
In 1999, Jim and Lillian built a home overlooking Table Rock Lake south of Branson. It did not take long for Jim to discover that retirement in Branson often meant finding new ways to stay busy. He soon found himself ushering at The Promise and later at Sight & Sound Theatre. He thoroughly enjoyed those opportunities and the many friendships he made along the way. Jim was also active in Bob Mabe's Kitchen Band, where he played the
saxophone and sang. It was a season filled with music, fun, and cherished friendships.
Jim was preceded in death by his daughter, Joan "Jody" Nelson; parents: Clarence and Clara Mitchell; sister, Mildred Mitchell Jackson; parents-in-law: Lilly and E. J. Gustafson; brothers-in-law: Dwight, John, Donald, and Gordon Gustafson; and sisters-in-law: Mary Barker and Dagmar Merrick.
He is survived by his beloved wife of 73 years, Lillian Mitchell; daughter, Jaymie Mitchell; son, Cameron Mitchell (DiAnna); and son-in-law, Blain Nelson.
He also leaves behind five grandchildren: Lyric (Jon) Butler, Brock (Karissa) Nelson, Bayli (Michael) Baker, Lindsay (Victor) Hilsinger, and Addison (Sam) Seeger.
Jim was further blessed with ten great-grandchildren: River Punab-Mitchell, Braxton Nelson, Brayden Butler, Dean Mitchell-Hilsinger, Kinsley Nelson, Easton Baker, Brooks Butler, Brolin Nelson, Payton Baker, and Lofton Baker.
A memorial service will be held with a visitation at 10:00 a.m. and service at 11:00 a.m. Friday, September 4, 2026, at Friendly Baptist Church, 2751 Kirkland Dr., Branson, Missouri. Inurnment will follow at 2:00 p.m. at the Missouri Veterans Cemetery in Springfield, Missouri. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Branson Bible Church Building Fund or Camp Shamineau, Motley, Minnesota 56466. Services and cremation are under the direction of Cremations of the Ozarks.
