Mary Etta was born in Indian Gap, Tx. on April 11, 1936 and was the oldest of 4 children born to Forrest Marshall Mitchell and Edna Jane (Barker) Mitchell. She was raised on the family dairy farm in Hico,Tx. and later married Harry R.Dawson, a member of the U.S. Air Force. With this marriage they had 5 children together. They moved to Germany and traveled the world while raising their children.
She later settled in Dallas, Tx where she had spent the early part of her professional career as a Practice Administrator for various physician groups and afterwards enjoyed her own Interior Decorating & Design shop.
In 1975 she met the love of her life James Sahady, whom she was married to for the last 44 years. They moved to the Houston area in 1988 and soon after settled in Bellville where she and James (Jim) enjoyed their retirement years living out at their countryside estate. During this time, they started a wholesale business where they enjoyed raising and selling English budgies as a hobby- which kept them busy during their early retirement. Mary Etta had a deep love of family and attended her beloved Family Reunions every year at Indian Gap, Tx. when possible. She loved having her family home for the holidays and she loved her grandchildren, nieces and nephews and would reach out to them frequently to stay in touch. She was the matriarch of the family and will be missed very much.
Mary Etta was preceded in death by her parents Forrest Marshall Mitchell and Edna Jane (Barker) Mitchell of Dallas, Tx., her brother Charles Ralph Mitchell of Mesquite, Tx., and her son Terry Ralph Dawson of Bellville, Tx. She is survived by her husband James J. Sahady of Bellville, Tx., son Robert (Bob) and wife Christy Dawson of Singapore, daughter Karen Adams of Bellville, daughter Cynthia Dawson and husband Alex Cobitz, MD of Philadelphia, and son Marshal Dawson of Altus, Oklahoma. She is survived by grandsons Christopher Dawson of Dallas, James Bright of Houston, and Thurston Dawson of Wilmington, NC., granddaughter Lauren Cobitz and grandson Harrison Cobitz of Philadelphia, and twin grandchildren Aidan and Ariel Dawson of Singapore. She is survived by her sisters Ruth Williams of Colorado and Patricia Smith of Salado, Tx. Surviving nieces and nephews are James Boughton of Colorado, Kimberly Mitchell Ashmore, Suzanne Culp, and Pamela Smith of Texas, Theresa Gerace of Kansas, and Martin Mitchell of Arkansas.
