Army Sgt. Mitchell Atchley

Remember Our Heroes

Funeral services for Mitch Atchley, 23, will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 17, at First Baptist Church in Teague. Brother Carl Clark of Corinth Baptist Church in Dew will officiate. Interment will follow the services at Dew Cemetery.

Visitation with the family present will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 16, at Bowers Funeral Home, 900 U.S. Highway 84, Teague.

Mr. Atchley lost his battle with cancer on Monday, Sept. 14, 2009, at his residence in Dew. He was born in Fairfield, raised in Dew, and attended Teague and Fairfield High Schools and was homeschooled before he joined the U.S. Army. He served in the Texas National Guard and earned the rank of sergeant. During his service to the military, Mitch completed a 13-month tour of duty in Iraq.

He was a proud member of the Dew Volunteer Fire Department and had also worked with the Jewett Volunteer Fire Department. His dream was to become a paramedic and firefighter and had worked hard in training to achieve those goals. Mitch was training as a rope rescue specialist before his health failed. He was proud to have been able to ride with the Dallas Fire Department Station 41 on calls.

Mitch was active in numerous church youth events including the paintball ministry at First Baptist Church in Teague and was an active member of Corinth Baptist Church in Dew.

He is survived by his mother, Theresa Underwood and husband Kenneth of Marquez; his father, Monte Atchley and wife Tammy of Dew; one brother, Jordan Atchley of Dew; three stepbrothers, Jordan Witcher, Hayden Hardwick, and Colt Hardwick, all of Dew; five stepsisters, Mindi Wooley of Dew, Shelby Ryan and husband David of Watertown, N.Y., Stacy Myrick of Conroe, April Underwood of Groesbeck, and Kristen Underwood of Tyler; grandparents, Joseph and Charlene Little of Dew; and numerous aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, and many friends.

Mr. Atchley was preceded in death by his sister, Maegen Atchley; maternal grandparents, Lynn and Wanda Herrin; paternal grandparents, Dwight and Norma D. Atchley; aunt, Janice Corrigan; and cousin, Danny Corrigan.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be sent to Corinth Baptist Church, 105 FM 489 West, Teague, TX 75860; or the Dew Volunteer Fire Department, 112 FCR 477, Teague, TX 75860.