David was born on February 10, 1916, near Lynnville, Iowa to Clyde and Tauntja 'Tillie' Van Gorp Mitchell. The family moved to Gilman, where he attended public school. During World War II he served with the U.S. Army in the Pacific Theatre. On March 25, 1943, he was married to Eleanor Anderson in Pittsburgh, California. The couple farmed south of Grinnell and later moved to Grinnell. He worked as a trucker and warehouseman with the Vernon Company in Newton until his retirement in 1981. He was a member of the First Friends Church in Grinnell and the American Legion of Grinnell. He enjoyed working on his farm and in his yard and cheering on the Chicago Cubs and the Minnesota Vikings. Survivors include his wife, Eleanor Mitchell in Grinnell; two daughters, Dianne Smith of Grinnell and Patricia Thompson of Tucson, AZ; four grandchildren; seven great grandchildren; and two great great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by one brother, Cornie Mitchell; and one sister, Bertha Wertz. Memorials may be directed to the First Friends Church in Grinnell or to the Parkinson's Association.