Mary was born on March 4, 1919 and was the second daughter of Charlie Robert and Amie (Wyche) Mitchell. She attended the Northampton County schools where she did well in her classes but challenged those who "picked on" her or her siblings. In a house full of older brothers, she was somewhat of a tomboy. Her brothers nor her classmates "messed" with Mary Ellen. One family tale says that Mary Ellen and two other siblings beat up Hair, dragged him to the edge of the woods and left him there. To them, he was somewhat lazy and deserved the beating. Needless to say, Mary and the others got a whipping for that one!

One day a school bus full of white children stopped their bus and started picking on and beating up Uncle Ellis - calling him names, etc. You see, black children did not have buses and had to walk to their school. Well, Mary Ellen, threw down her books, got herself a big oak stick and started "whipping heads" until she backed them all down! "You go, girl."

As a teenager, Mary Ellen grew up to be strikingly beautiful - our own brown sugar version of Greta Garbo or Loretta Young. No wonder Jessie Clyde Edwards was smitten at first sight. She met and married Jessie and gave birth to eleven children - one, Jessie Jr. died as an infant. The other ten children were: Dorothy, Annie, Mary Phyllis, Minnie, Carolyn, Amie, Jerry, Thelma, Joan, and James.

Mary Ellen and Jessie later moved to Rich Square where they worked and reared their family. Jessie broke his neck in a car accident and was also diagnosed with cancer but thankfully he survived them both. This placed the burden of raising the family on Mary Ellen for many years and she proved to be the strong black woman anyone would be proud to know. She offered hope, love and advice to loved ones and friends. She increased her service to the church and the community in helping others. Her loyalty and dedication was always felt in First Baptist Church where she moved her membership after moving to Rich Square. Mary Ellen was a promoter in her Sunday school class and attended regularly until her illness prevented her from doing so. When the family was all together, the noise level was astounding as they tried to compete to be heard - but, what fun it was to be in her presence. Mary Ellen died on April 24, 1990.