Obituary for Delma Lou Mitchell-Cage
April 12, 1935 – April 17, 2025

With heavy hearts and a deep well of gratitude for a life beautifully lived, we announce the passing of our beloved matriarch, Delma Lou Mitchell-Cage, who departed this life on April 17, 2025, in Azle, Texas, just five days after celebrating her 90th birthday. Though our hearts ache, we rejoice in the legacy she leaves behind—a legacy of love, faith, resilience, and devotion to family.

Born on April 12, 1935, in the small, sun-drenched community of Elbert, Texas, Delma was a daughter of the Texas soil in every sense of the word. She was born to Kenneth Raymond Mitchell and Virginia Pearl Richardson-Mitchell, and was raised in a home steeped in strong values, unwavering faith, and close family ties. Her upbringing in Elbert and Throckmorton, Texas, gave her the foundation she would carry throughout her life. Raised Baptist, she was baptized as a child, a spiritual milestone that anchored her path and guided her with a strong moral compass. Her faith shaped the gentle, strong, and generous woman she became and informed every role she would later take on—wife, mother, grandmother, and friend.

Delma's early life was nestled among the dusty roads and wide skies of rural Texas. Her siblings were not just family but lifelong companions. The love she shared with them remained vibrant and enduring, even as life took them down different paths. It was in Throckmorton that her heart first recognized its home—in the form of a true cowboy named David R. Cage. David was working on a ranch when they met, and his easy charm and rugged strength won Delma's heart. He was the love of her life, her partner, and her best friend. The two were joined in marriage on May 16, 1953, in a union that would be as enduring as it was loving.

They welcomed their first child just a year later, beginning a family that would become Delma's deepest joy and proudest achievement. In the early years, Delma devoted herself wholly to motherhood, staying at home to raise her children with the same tender care and deep values she had been given. Once her children were old enough to attend school, she joined the workforce, taking a position in the catalog department of Sears and Roebuck, where she worked in the catalog department in shipping and receiving for over 20 years. She was dependable, diligent, and beloved by coworkers, just as she was by all who came to know her.

Delma was the kind of mother every child dreams of having. Her children, Cindy, Randy, and Rusty, adored her and called her the world's best mom—and later, the world's best grandma. Her love for them was boundless, and she gave selflessly to ensure they had every opportunity, especially when it came to their passions. Whether it was rodeoing or agricultural school events, Delma and David spent every dime they had on their children's dreams, never hesitating, never counting the cost.

Her home was a place of warmth, tradition, and the tantalizing aroma of homemade meals. Delma was a marvelous cook—famous in the family for her savory meatloaf, cornbread, and black-eyed peas. Her garden was a sacred space, and her commitment to fresh vegetables was unwavering. From canning countless jars of black-eyed peas to serving garden-fresh fare year-round, Delma lived out the virtues of hard work and simple living. Her children and grandchildren were raised on the fruits of her labor, both literally and figuratively.

She was also a skilled seamstress and embroiderer—crafting western shirts for her long-limbed son Randy when store-bought shirts simply wouldn't do, and lovingly hand-embroidering pieces for her other children and grandchildren. One of her favorite projects was making overalls for her grandson Mickey, each stitch woven with her care and pride.

Delma loved the land. She and David were lifelong farmers and ranchers who believed in honest labor and the sanctity of the soil. She often said she'd rather be in the field than in the house—a testament to her tireless spirit and deep connection to the earth. She found joy in simple things: a well-tended row of beans, a clean mason jar filled with peas, the scent of wildflowers carried on the spring wind.

Her spiritual life remained a cornerstone of who she was. Throughout her life, she remained faithful to her beliefs and active in her church communities. She loved the First Baptist Church in Briar, Texas, where she brought her children, and later, the La Junta Baptist Church. Her faith in God was sincere, abiding, and reflected in how she loved and served those around her.

Delma leaves behind a family that spans five generations—each touched and shaped by her legacy. She is survived by her devoted daughter, Cindy Clark, and her husband John; her loving son Rusty Cage and his wife Carol; her grandchildren: Mickey Clark and his wife Gretchen, Kori Dixon, Nick Cage and his wife Kerry, and Debra Dickinson and her husband Dustin. Her great-grandchildren include Ameri Clark and her husband Blake Horton, Collin Clark, Jack Clark, Logan Blair and his wife Abby, Dillon Cage, Harper Dickinson, and Rosalyn Dickinson. Her great-great-grandchild, London Diane Blair, carries her love into a new generation. She also leaves behind countless extended family and friends who will carry her memory with them always.

She is preceded in death by her beloved husband David R. Cage; her parents Kenneth and Virginia Mitchell; her cherished son Randy Cage; her sister Doris Kennedy; her brothers T.W. Mitchell, Richard Mitchell, and Hob Mitchell; and one great-grandchild, Devon Dickinson.

The loss of Delma Lou Mitchell-Cage is immense, but so too is the beauty of the life she lived. She embodied the finest virtues—faith, humility, loyalty, and unconditional love. She was a woman of grit and grace, a true Texan, and a cherished soul who gave everything she had to the ones she loved.

A private family graveside service honoring Delma's life will be held on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, at 10:00 AM at Azleland Cemetery, located at 850 North Cardinal Rd., Azle, Texas. We celebrate the beautiful life of a woman who gave so much and asked for so little.

Her hands are now at rest, but her legacy will grow on—like the seeds she planted in the garden and in the hearts of all who loved her.