Early Life
Wayman Othell Mitchell shares his birthday, October 9, with Christopher Columbus. He was born in 1929 in the town of Mitchell in the US state of Arkansas. His father decided to move the family to Prescott, Arizona in 1933, in search of work during the Great Depression. There were five children, Wayman being the youngest. Arizona is where he and his wife Nelda currently reside. Mitchell was stationed on the Island of Guam between 1948–1952 for the U.S. military during the Korean War. While there he was head supervisor of the maintenance shop. During this time he was promoted to Staff Sergeant and offered a candidacy at an officer training school. After his military service he met Nelda Henderson at a dance in Phoenix in 1952. They were married on Feb 7th 1953. Ten months after the birth of their first daughter, she suddenly died of cot death. During this time Mitchell was unemployed. Jobs were scarce and unemployment was widespread. This was the turning point in his life. George Mitchell, Wayman's brother had been converted at a Foursquare church and invited the grieving couple to a church meeting. They both responded to an altar call and became born again Christians in 1954.
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