Funeral services are scheduled Saturday for a Cleveland, Georgia, woman who died after she went missing. Mattie Mizell, 69, walked away from her home on New Year’s Day and never returned. Police say she had dementia.
On January 6, searchers found Mizell’s body along the edge of a creek in a densely wooded area northeast of Cleveland. The city’s police chief said at the time they did not suspect foul play.
Local officials still do not know how and when Mizell died. Her date of death is listed as the sixth because that’s the day she was found. The White County Coroner’s Office says they’re still waiting on the results of an autopsy.
A ‘ray of sunshine’
Originally from Jefferson, Mizell lived in Cleveland for over 50 years. She is remembered fondly by those who knew and loved her.
“Mattie brought a ray of sunshine into every room she entered. As her family, friends, and many acquaintances will tell anyone, she never truly met a stranger, or at least they did not end as strangers,” her obituary says.
Friends and family will gather at 11 a.m. on Saturday, January 15 at the Chapel of Barrett Funeral Home in Cleveland for her funeral. The service will be livestreamed for those unable to attend.
Anyone wishing to share a memory or leave an online condolence for the family may do so by visiting www.barrettfh.com.
Contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association in Mizell’s honor.
