Couple turns blight into beautiful

By ED RUNYAN

VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER

YOUNGSTOWN — Willie and Mary Mitchell were newlyweds who had only recently moved into their home on West LaClede Avenue in the early 1970s when they met their neighbor from across the street.

The man they only knew as “Mr. Damon” was an architect who took great pride in his home and his yard.

“He didn’t allow even one dandelion in his yard,” Willie said from inside his beautiful two-story brick home.

This good neighbor saw the Mitchells raking leaves in their yard one day and quietly walked up with his own rake and started to help them — without saying a word.

His example was extremely powerful for the couple.

“I think we took a stewardship from him,” Willie said, noting that their South Side neighborhood just west of Oak Hill Avenue was filled with professional people at the time. The homes were solidly built with lots of oak floors. The houses were set back from the road, and the street was lined with oak and maple trees.

Mary took to Mr. Damon’s example easily, she said, because her mother in Alabama had been a gardener.

“It must have been in my genes. It’s something I’ve always enjoyed, and now my daughter enjoys it,” she said of Jennifer, 24, a graduate student at Youngstown State University who lives with them. Over the years, Mary would return home from her job at General Motors in Lordstown and go right to work on her flowers and shrubs.

Willie, an upholsterer, handled yard work and maintenance.

The city of Youngstown noticed their achievements in 1997 and presented them with the Pride Award for the beautiful condition of their home. The Mitchells’ home stood out because the area had become the victim of blight, crime and drugs. Many nearby homes became vacant.

For complete story, see Monday’s Vindicator or www.vindy.com.