LAVEDA DELL "POLLY" MITCHELL ALEXANDER,
92, passed away peacefully on Nov. 12, 2025, with
burial at Evergreen Cemetery in Ranger, TX. Ranger
has lost an icon.
Born in Ranger on May 14,1933 to Clarence & Mary
Mitchell, Ms. Polly graduated from Ranger High
School in 1950 and then attend Ranger Jr. College.
She was musically talented and played in her parents'
Western Band when she was in high school. Her love
of music and singing played an important role in
her life. No matter where she lived, she was always
a member of her church choir and always found a local
choral group to sing with. While a member of the
Abilene Classical chorus, she was able to travel
to Rome and sing in the Vatican. Also, to New
to perform at Carnegie Hall. Throughout the years,
she gave piano lessons to many of the children in
Ranger. When you walked into her home, you were
greeted with no less than three pianos. When the
old Ranger High School building was being torn
down in the late 70's, she put a bid in for the
high school's Baldwin Grand piano which she had
been able to play while she was in school and it
soon became an institution in her home.
She married Joe Alexander, who was in the U.S. Air
Force and lived in many places around the world with
her four children. They lived in the Philippines,
Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Okinawa, Virginia.
When Joe retired from the AF, the family moved back
to Ranger. Joe continued to work at Ranger Jr.
College as the manager of the Student Union Building
and Cafeteria. It was during this time that Ms.
Polly became the most dedicated loyal fan of all
the sports at Ranger College. She seldom missed a
basketball, football or baseball game. She loved
the students of Ranger College. She was also the
number one supporter of the Ranger Fire Department.
The song she wrote "Call For The Ranger Volunteer
Fire Department" is almost legendary. Ms. Polly
loved Ranger. No matter where she lived and the
places her family called home for a short period
of time, Home was always Ranger.
For about 20 years, Polly ran the Ranger Rodeo Queen
competition and was even named an Honorary Rodeo Queen
herself. When she realized the high school needed
to be replaced, she ran and was elected to the school
board and convinced them to build a new high school.
Her family has lots of stories about her time as a
school board member. When you drive by Ranger High,
you can thank Ms. Polly for her efforts to get it
built.
She is survived by brother, Dan Mitchell (RHS-1954),
sister, Mollie Mitchell Pressler (RHS-1959), her
four children, Jennifer Alexander, Beverley Whitis,
Michael Alexander and Richard Alexander, seven
grandchildren and numerous great and great-great
grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her
father, Clarence Mitchell, mother, Mary Mitchell
and sister, Ailene Barham.
HUSBAND: MELVIN JOE ALEXANDER, 71, passed
away April 27, 2002 with burial at Evergreen Cemetery
in Ranger, TX.
Mr. Alexander was born on Dec. 25, 1930 in Brecken-
ridge, TX, to Roy Mack Alexander & Margie Pearl-
Alexander. He attended schools in Breckenridge
and Diamond Hill. He married LaVeda D. "Polly"
Mitchell (RHS-1950) in Jan. of 1951 in Ranger, TX,
she survives him today. He retired from the U.S.
Air Force after 22 years of service in which he
attained the rank of Senior Master Sergeant. After
his retirement, he became the manager of the Ranger
College Cafeteria, where he was employed for 22
years. He was a member of First Baptist Church
of Ranger and also a member of the Good Sam Camper
organization.
Mr. Alexander's survivors include his wife, Polly,
of the home; daughter, J.H. Alexander of San Fran-
cisco, CA; daughter, Beverly Whitis of Stephenville;
son, Michael Alexander of Michigan; son Richard
Alexander of Stephenville; a sister, Shirley Arend
of Scotts Valley, CA; 14 grandchildren; 12 great-
grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers,
Alvin Alexander, Jack Alexander, & E.B. Alexander;
a sister, Elizabeth Alexander; and a son-in-law,
Thomas Whitis III.