Roll Call Tribute

Karen A. (Ponish) Mitchell 

September 23, 1961 - September 15, 2024 

With grace, kindness, and strength, Karen Ponish Mitchell, 62, of Albert, NM, went to be with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on Sunday, September 15, 2024, in Houston, TX. Karen was a blessing and a Christian witness to all as she bravely fought Stage IV Clear Cell Renal Cancer from October 2020 to September 2024. Throughout Karen's life, she treated everyone with respect and dignity. She never gossiped and embraced the positive side of people.

Karen was born September 23, 1961, in Beeville, TX, to Gale and Betty Ponish. She graduated from Hays High School in Kyle, TX, as the high-ranking female in 1979. She attended Texas A&M University with numerous college credits under her belt and graduated in 1982 with a dual major in business and psychology.

While in a college economics class, she met her soulmate and the love of her life, Thomas "Tom" E. Mitchell III of Albert, NM. They were married on August 8, 1987, in Austin, TX. The couple moved to the Tequesquite Ranch in Albert, NM, where she embraced ranch life and became a beloved member of the Harding County community. Karen participated in all ranch activities and pitched in wherever she was needed. She learned to ride, tattoo calves during branding, organize vaccines, cook tasty meals, and keep the crew laughing with her sense of humor.

Tom and Karen have three children: Lisa (Sy) Campbell of Amarillo, TX, Erin Mitchell of Wichita Falls, TX, and Adam Mitchell of Lufkin, TX. Karen raised her children to love Jesus in the Mosquero Community Church, where she taught Sunday School, led worship service, sang, and organized fun community activities, including the Valentine Dinners, where she and Tom would come dressed in costume and host an evening filled with laughter and food. Karen and Tom loved helping strengthen marriages and aiding people in achieving financial freedom through the many classes they hosted.

Karen supported and participated in all of her children's activities. Her kids say she was always intentional in facilitating memorable adventures. In the early years, she would haul a car full of kids to Pee Wee basketball games, feed them, and then coach the team. She helped the kids with 4-H projects, proofread speeches for FFA, and cheered at high school athletic games. She never hesitated to lend a helping hand. Whether flipping burgers, refereeing games, or decorating for prom, Karen was there at every turn. Karen valued education and a strong work ethic and proudly reared her children with those values. She would often say to Tom, "We raised good kids."

Karen's oldest, Lisa, is married to Sy Campbell, and they have two beautiful children, Kale and Natalie. Karen wholeheartedly loved being "Nonie" and prioritized making memories with her grandchildren. She cheered at hockey games, delighted in big Christmas celebrations, and loved carving pumpkins.

In the local community, Karen was an active Pinon Cowbells and DWI Prevention Council member and a huge supporter of the Harding County Fair. She is remembered for creating amazing magistrate court floats for the parade, baking mouth-watering pies for community events, and serving as a ringman at the Harding County Fair sale. Karen cherished the High Plains Emmaus and Sunrise Emmaus ministries. She served as an Assistant Table Leader and advanced to Lay Director to share the love of Jesus.

Karen was elected Harding County Magistrate Judge in 1997. She served on the bench for 24 years, then retired in December 2022. Her colleagues say Judge Mitchell was a fair judge who was respected and loved by all. She brought grace, competence, ethics, compassion, energy, determination, and a sense of humor to tackle any task. During her term on the bench, Karen became a leader in the New Mexico judicial system. She was appointed to several committees by the NM Supreme Court and selected to chair the JIFFY committee, which oversees court automation and technology. This task force was instrumental in helping NM become a flagship state in implementing the Odyssey software system, which allows all NM Magistrate Courts to be connected online. She also served on the Education Committee, where she was influential in creating a curriculum for new judge training programs.

Judge Mitchell received the Certificate in Judicial Development Special Court Trial Skills from the National Judicial College in 2012. She served as secretary and then president of the Magistrate Judges' Association from 2010-2014. She taught at the Magistrate Judges' Conference and presented at conferences for the Judicial Education Center. Judge Mitchell was passionate about mentoring new magistrates and spent countless hours lobbying for judicial priorities at the NM Legislature. After Judge Mitchell discovered she had cancer, she did not slow down and continued to hear cases over video connection in Houston, TX.

She was preceded in death by her father, Gale Ponish. Karen is survived by her husband, Thomas "Tom" E. Mitchell, III, and children, Lisa (Sy) Campbell, Erin Mitchell, and Adam Mitchell. Her brother, Jason (Cara) Ponish, of Liberty Hill, TX. Her mother, Betty Ponish, of San Marcos, TX. Two grandchildren, Kale and Natalie Campbell. Numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, and extended family. Karen was loved and will be missed by her family, community, and colleagues. She faithfully led by example and will be remembered for her love of family, her beautiful eyes, gracious smile, forgiving heart, and unwavering faith in Jesus.

The funeral service will be held at the University Church of Christ, 115 Country Estates Dr, San Marcos, TX 78666, on Saturday, October 5, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. The minister will be Wayne Jones. The burial will be at the Kennedy Cemetery, 146 CR 329, Kenedy, TX 78119, at 3:00 p.m. A "celebration of life" will be held in Harding County, NM, at a later date.

Arrangements are in the care of Pennington Funeral Home, 323 N. Comanche, San Marcos, TX 78999. 512-353-4311 https://www.penningtonfuneralhome.com/ 

In lieu of flowers, please send donations in honor of Karen Mitchell to the following charities:

The Ranches, 6209 Hendrix Rd NE Suite 2, Albuquerque, NM 87110, Donate online: https://theranches.org/invest-in-our-youth/ 

Starfish Kenya, 760 Clearlake City BLVD, Webster, TX 77598, Donate online: https://www.starfishkenya.org/donate/ 

High Plains Emmaus, PO Box 55, Amherst, TX 79312, Donation note: In Memory of Karen Mitchell.

Sunrise Emmaus, PO Box 93, Logan, NM 88426, Donation note: In Memory of Karen Mitchell.

MD Anderson Cancer Center, Attn Ginger Araujo, Administrative Director MD Anderson Cancer Center- GU Medical Oncology, 1155 Pressler St., Unit 1374, Houston, TX 77033 Please enclose a note with the donation stating, "We would like the donation to be used in their entirety to support Dr. Pavlos Msaouel's kidney cancer research at MD Anderson Cancer Center." Donate online: https://gifts.mdanderson.org/Default.aspx