04/04/2025
Our condolences to the family of Erin Mitchell.
Erin Alieze Goseer Mitchell, born June 9, 1935, in Selma, Alabama, passed away peacefully at the age of 89 on March 31, 2025. The second of three children of Mabel and Stanley Goseer, Erin was raised in Fitzgerald, Georgia, and Selma, Alabama, where her parents were educators. A proud graduate of Spelman College, the Class of 1955, she began her career as a second-grade teacher in Connecticut before moving to Chicago in 1956 with her husband, Aldus S. Mitchell, Jr. She dedicated 38 years to Chicago Public Schools as a beloved primary teacher, music educator, and parenting liaison. A gifted pianist and organist, Erin served in several churches and volunteered with youth vocal programs across the city.
After the death of her husband in 1987, Erin began writing and later published her memoirs, Born Colored: Life Before Bloody Sunday and From Colored to Black: A Bittersweet Journey. A passionate traveler and lifelong learner, she earned a Master's in Music from Roosevelt University in 1979. Erin is survived by her daughters, Audrey Mitchell Carruthers (Chatman) and Greta Mitchell; grandsons Kyle Carruthers (Alana Grier), Jared Bryson, and Kevin Bryson; great-grandson Zayn Carruthers; and sister Alice Readus (Frank). She was preceded in death by her parents and brother, Stanley "Sonny" Goseer. Erin leaves behind a legacy of love, learning, and service that touched countless lives.
