Araminta “Minnie” Rowena Mizelle, 98, of Suffolk, went to be with her Lord on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2019.

Born in Windsor, N.C., on May 7, 1921, Minnie was the oldest daughter of Iva Macon and Bessie Williams Mizelle. After high school, she moved to Suffolk to join other family members and to work at Planters Peanut Company. Shortly afterward, she was employed at the Virginia Employment Commission, where she worked for the next 36 years. She attended Richmond Professional Institute to hone her skills in psychology and employment counseling, resulting in her eventual promotion to employment service interviewer supervisor.

She was a member of the Suffolk Photography Club, Christian Women’s Club, and the Art League and enjoyed sewing, handicrafts, reading, home computers and painting. She was actively involved as long as her health permitted at First Baptist Church, where she was a member for 80 years. Although Minnie never had children of her own, she was actively involved in the lives of her nieces and nephews and attended all their events.

She was preceded in death by her parents; brothers, Marshall Mizelle and Vernon Mizelle; sister, Violette Graham; nephews, Johnny Mizelle and Gerald Graham; and niece, Sara Ann Graham Hawkins.

Left behind to cherish her memory are her sister, Sara Mizelle Richardson, of Winston-Salem, N.C.; nieces, Marcia Mizelle Toumayan, of Chattanooga, Tenn., and Pamela Richardson Dennis (David), of Shelby, N.C.; and faithful friends, Elaine Johnson and Lynne Charles.

A memorial service celebrating her life will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 28, 2019, at First Baptist Church in Suffolk, preceded by a private burial at Bethlehem Christian Church. The family will receive friends after the service at First Baptist.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to First Baptist Church, 247 N. Main St., Suffolk, VA 23434. Condolences may be registered at RWBakerFH.com.