Wife, mother, sister, grandmother, cousin, Penney, 75, died suddenly on August 24. Penney was a longtime resident of Rome. She was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church, the Seven Hills Garden Club of Rome, and served on the board of and volunteered for Good Neighbors Ministries, Inc. She also served on the ESL committee at St. Mary’s Catholic Church for several years.
Penney was born in Daytona Beach, Florida, at the army base, Penney Farms. She grew up in West Palm Beach, Florida, graduating from Forest Hill High School in its second graduating class, 1962. She attended Shorter College, graduating in 1966, after marrying Martin H. “Buddy” Mitchell in January of 1966. Penney began a teaching career at Rockmart High School, then worked in Special Education at East Rome Junior High School before committing to a job with the State of Georgia.
Anne Bronte said: “the best compliment to a mother is to appreciate her little one.” Penney devoted herself to her grandsons and was a presence in their lives at school, ball games, church, and family functions. Complimenting her grandsons was always welcome conversation. Penney was a comforting face to the sick, the elderly, the downtrodden, and the youth. She was quick to make you feel at ease, and she had the gift of storytelling that brought a smile and reassurance to all she knew. If anyone had a visiting niece, nephew, grandchild, or older relative, she made sure everyone had a gift.
Penney is survived by her husband Ronnie Burton of Rome; daughter Mary Hardin Thornton and husband Bill of Rome; son David Yoakley Mitchell and wife Niamh of Atlanta; grandsons Walter Wyatt Thornton and Henry Hardin Thornton of Rome, and Liam Dellinger Yoakley Mitchell of Atlanta; sister, Mary Yoakley Inglis and husband John of Palm Beach Gardens, and five first-cousins. Penney was preceded in death by her parents, David S. “Bud” Yoakley and Madge Dellinger Yoakley, of West Palm Beach, and her husband, Martin H. “Buddy” Mitchell, of Rome.
Donations may be made to:
Saint Mary’s Catholic School
401 E. 7th Street
Rome, GA 30161
Or
The Atlanta Preservation Center
327 Saint Paul Avenue SE
Atlanta, Georgia 30312
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