Larry Mitchell

Larry L. Mitchell was born in Cherokee's Sioux Valley hospital on March 5, 1936, to Leon Donald and Beulah (Judd) Mitchell of Cleghorn. In 1941, the family moved from its Cleghorn
homestead to a farm on the edge of the small town of Paullina.

While in high school, he was very active in the arts and basketball. During his Senior year the team became "Almost Hoosiers" barely losing to Des Moines Roosevelt. Larry was rated by sports writers as one of the two best rebounders in the tournament.

After high school, he enrolled at Iowa State College, now Iowa State University to study
Veterinary Medicine. While there, Larry sang in two choirs under legendary choral conductor,
Robert McCowen. Because of his influence, he decided to major in vocal music education, so he enrolled in Iowa State Teachers College, now University of Northern Iowa. While there he was motivated by professors of Musical Theater, Lane Birkhead and Harold Holst who unlocked his nterest and talent in that field.

Upon graduation, he began his career as Jr.-Sr. high choral director at Orange TWP Schools near Waterloo. There, he introduced the school to performing musicals. He also directed
several church choirs and served on the Waterloo Community Concert Association and began
work at UNI on his Master of Arts degree that he completed in 1970.

He also spent four summers, singing in choral workshops under maestro, Robert Shaw.

In the fall of 1966, he began a 31-year career as director of Choral Activities at Fort Dodge Senior High School. For the first five years, he also conducted the Grace Lutheran Church Choir and the highly popular Fort Dodge Civic Glee Club.

In 1968, he married Fort Dodge native Leslie Anne Grove. There were no children from this
union and the marriage ended in divorce. In 1968, along with former student Scott Griffith they
founded The Comedia Musica Players. For the first 40 years in existence, Larry served in various roles, stage director, music director, performer, conductor and producer. Normally, three to four positions simultaneously. Performing one production each fall, they also did a great amount of touring in the early years. Including four times in Mason City and other cities in Iowa, four summers in Leadville and Central City, CO and several summers in the Northcutt Theater, a professional venue in Exeter, England.

Throughout his career, he directed over 100 productions of 65 different musicals, operas and
operettas that were mounted by his high school, junior high and the theater troupe. The choral program at the high school was busy as the A Cappella and Chamber Choirs made four Christmas and Patriotic albums for Delta Records of Chicago, commissioned two choral
works and performed for various festivals and conventions in Iowa.

They performed at MacAlester College in Minneapolis, Simpson College and were selected to be the guest choir at the prestigious Dorian Festival at Luther College. In 1974, they were chosen as one of only two choirs in Iowa to perform for the 10-state regional convention of the American Choral Directors Association. In 1993 and 1997, they toured Washington DC and New York City. He also served as General, Stage Director and Conductor for 31 FDSH musicals.

As a clinician, Larry conducted festivals in Iowa and gave numerous workshops on Musical
Theater throughout Iowa, surrounding states, Virginia and Florida. He also conducted
summer high school music festival choirs at both the Universities of Iowa and Wisconsin. Larry
also served two three-year terms as All State Chairman and for several years in an advisory
capacity for the Des Metro Opera. One of the highlights of his career came as he was asked to
conduct a "Masterworks Sing" at the National Symposium of the Music Educators National
Conference in Los Angeles featuring professional soloists, a university orchestra and a massedchorus of music educators.

In 1997, he married the love of his life, Donni. He inherited a wonderful family. He retired in 1997 and continued judging music contests mentoring young music teachers and cantoring at Sacred Heart Catholic Church. He also performed a monologue as Karl King dressed in King's white uniform for National, State and local audiences.

The final honor of his career came in 2021 when he was awarded the Iowa Choral Directors
Association's highest honor, the Robert M. McCowen Memorial Award for "Outstanding
Contribution to Choral Music in the State of Iowa." Ironically, it was Robert McCowen who
inspired his career change.

Throughout his long career, Larry as a lover of American history, aspired to the sage advice of
early colonial composer, William Billings who said, "Since singing is so good a thing, I wish (that
all) would learn to sing."

Preceding him in death his beloved wife, Donni, his parents, a sister Jeanne O'Kane, threenieces and a nephew and step-grandson, Jordan Mundie.

A portion of his estate is set aside to start a vocal music scholarship at Fort Dodge Senior High. Donations for this cause may be sent to Laufersweiler Funeral Home. A committee has
been established to administrate and accept donations.

A Mass of Christian burial will be 11:00 am Saturday, November 7, 2026, at Holy Trinity Church. A visitation will be 9:00 - 11:00 am Saturday at the church. Laufersweiler Funeral Home will be serving the family.