infant daughter of randall and rosie mitchell
1918-1918
Life Story
The Infant Daughter of Randall and Rosie Mitchell (1918)
On a cold winter day in early 1918, the household of Randall and Rosie Beal Mitchell in Lawrence, Mississippi, prepared for the arrival of another child. Like many rural families in Newton County during the early twentieth century, the Mitchells lived close to the rhythms of the land, faith, and family, building their lives within a tightly connected Black community rooted in the piney woods of Mississippi.
On January 2, 1918, Rosie Beal Mitchell gave birth to a daughter recorded on her death certificate as Abstein Mitchel. She was born in Lawrence, Newton County, Mississippi, to Randall Mitchell, a native of Newton County, and Rosie Beal Mitchell, who was born in neighboring Jasper County.
Yet the joy that should have accompanied her arrival was overshadowed by sorrow. The child was recorded as stillborn, her life ending before it had the opportunity to truly begin. Though her time on earth lasted only moments, her existence was formally documented, preserving her place within the historical record of the Mitchell family.
A Family Marked by Loss and Perseverance
The passing of Abstein came during a period when infant mortality remained tragically common in rural Mississippi, especially within communities that often lacked access to consistent medical care. For families such as the Mitchells, grief was carried quietly but deeply, woven into the larger story of survival, perseverance, and faith that defined Black life in the Jim Crow South.
At the time of her birth, Randall and Rosie were raising a growing family in Beat 4 of Newton County. Their children would later become part of the wider migration of Black Southern families seeking opportunity beyond Mississippi, but in 1918 their roots remained firmly planted in Lawrence and the surrounding countryside.
Burial at Union Chapel
Following her passing, the infant daughter was given a dignified burial in the Lawrence cemetery on January 3, 1918. The arrangements were handled by local undertaker Charlie Boykin, while J. P. Burnham witnessed the official record of her death.
Today, she rests in the sacred grounds of the Union Chapel Methodist Church Cemetery, among generations of Newton County families whose stories shaped the history of the Lawrence community. Though her life was brief, the surviving records ensure that she remains remembered as part of the enduring legacy of the Mitchell and Beal families.
Resting Place
Union Chapel United Methodist Church Cemetery
Photos/Albums
Sources
- Mississippi State Board of Health, death certificate for Abstein Mitchel, stillborn, 2 January 1918, Lawrence, Newton County, Mississippi; burial 3 January 1918 at Lawrence Cemetery; filed by J. P. Burnham; Mississippi Department of Archives and History, Jackson, Mississippi.
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