Arveda B. Mixon

Arveda Mixon went to join her family and the love of her life, Thomas A. Mixon, on Saturday, October 29, 2016. She lived the fullest life and enjoyed every minute. For Arveda, family and motherhood was her true joy. Arveda was the ultimate “Mother.” The grandchildren, Lance and Christine Mixon, called her “Bea” since pronouncing “Arveda” was a bit difficult for toddlers.

She grew up on a small farm outside of Tylertown, Mississippi, working hard at her designated chores, from the chickens to shelling peas. She is the daughter of John Rankin Bryant (born 1901) and Rose Annie Baughtman Bryant (born 1903).

Even with farm life and chores during the depression, the family had fun. She had nine brothers and sisters – Versey, Liberty Bell, Elloise, Ellnise, Lloyd J, Harvey Ray, Vera Nell, and the babies of the family, Rejona and Nelton.

Arveda remembered playing some basketball in school, having local teenage friends over for gatherings, and when older, sharing fun times with her sisters, doing the jitter-bug, and sadly remembering high-school boys going off to war.

Mom struck out for Houston, Texas, and while living with a family there and working, she met the love of her life at a dance, Tommy Mixon, from Deadwood, Texas, near Louisiana. Tommy was curious about Dallas, Texas, but never made it there after meeting her at the dance. It was not long before they married and settled into their first garage apartment near downtown Houston in the Montrose area.

They lived the “newlywed” life before having two children, Myron and Sharon Mixon. They bought a car, went out and around in Houston, plus spent time with Dad’s brother and sister and their new spouses at family dinners there in Houston.

Together, they bought their first home in the growing “suburb” of Houston - Spring Branch. This is where mom began to hone her skills at raising children, cooking, driving the new red and white station wagon, keeping the home, having the other neighborhood moms over for morning coffee, and her favorite, preparing for the holidays.

Arveda and the family attended regular services at Houston’s Terrace United Methodist Church, a church her husband helped to build every night after work. In Austin, they loved the bible study group and church, Oak Hill United Methodist, and attended until they could no longer drive.

She was becoming the mother of the 1950’s in the new suburbs; she learned much like every other mother in the suburbs over their morning coffee and chats - the women’s magazines of Look, Life, and Good Housekeeping.

How to dress, do a dinner party, throw a back-yard Bar-B-Q, cook a casserole, make Halloween and Christmas decorations, and sew a party dress.

The station wagons kept coming, just longer and sleeker, plus she participated in getting the kids to the YMCA for summer swimming, Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and making sure we were prepared and ready for the summer vacations – camping at Garner State Park and spending summer weeks in Louisiana and Mississippi with all the aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Arveda assisted with building a weekend lake house and supported the Spring Branch High School activities of the Band and Bruin Brigade attending football games and trips away.

Arveda went to work later in life at the Spring Branch Independent School District Tax office and was proud to earn her own retirement fund.

Upon retirement, Arveda moved with her husband to Jersey Village outside of Houston where she helped Tommy get back to their roots building a large vegetable garden and beautiful flower gardens. They eventually moved the Austin, Texas, neighborhood of Travis Country in Southwest Austin to be nearer to their son and grandkids. They were able to travel to both Colorado and Dallas to visit their daughter.

Gardening, canning, cooking, and having the grand babies over was her specialty. Luckily, they had saved their nest egg so they were able to vacation on Caribbean cruises, visit the major cities of Europe, plus return to visit Sweden and Norway. They then traveled up the US East coast, and took trips to Canada, California, Hawaii, and Nova Scotia.

As retirees, square dancing up to four times a week with their group became a passion in Houston and then Austin, Texas, which included annual summer trips to Fun Valley, Colorado.

Aveda’s joy and passion was cooking, especially the holiday preparations. She started making beautiful pies by October and slipped all her creations into the big freezer, and would be up and in the kitchen early on holidays with the turkey and her ultimate dish – the cornbread dressing.

We remember Mother as an artisan and a craftsman; she had her special talents – homemade quilts, sewing all her dancing dresses, embroidery, cooking the most wonderful dishes, baking, and gardening. Even later in age in Austin, Texas, she would be outside every morning with her coffee early going through their flower gardens with her little dog.

Her equal joy was raising a family, her children, grandchildren, visiting with her sisters long after dinner was over, and spending over sixty years married to the love of her life, Tommy.

We remember her as Mom and “Bea”.