Author, educator, historian, and community volunteer Lynn Sheffield Simmons died June 17, 2023, following a brief illness. Born Mary Lynnette Mitcham on October 29, 1934, to Earl M. Mitcham and Mildred Barnett in McAlester, Oklahoma, she was reared in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where her mother taught English at the University of Alabama.

Lynn graduated from Ensley High School in Birmingham, then attended Oklahoma State University for two years, where she was a member of Alpha Delta Pi. She married Tread Sheffield and moved to Dallas, then, shortly thereafter, to Argyle, where she lived the remainder of her life.

Lynn was graduated from Texas Woman's University with a bachelor's degree in elementary education and a master's degree in special education. At TWU, she was inducted into Phi Delta Kappa honor fraternity. Her early career included teaching children with learning disabilities as a private tutor and in public schools. In March 1988, Lynn married the love of her life, Larry Simmons, DDS, a dentist in Denton, Texas.

As a freelance writer, Lynn created the award-winning column "Up A Creek" and wrote historical reviews and feature stories published in a variety of magazines and newspapers, including the Denton Record-Chronicle, for which she served as served as the Newspaper-in-Education coordinator. She was also a regular contributor to The Argyle Sun.

Lynn's quest to follow James 2:17, "So you see faith by itself isn't enough; unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and worthless," began at the age of 10, when she was baptized at First Christian Church in Ada, Oklahoma. Lynn fulfilled her quest through the many charitable organizations she organized, directed, and nurtured, especially those that promoted Argyle, her adopted hometown.

These include the Argyle Community Chorus, which she founded, and the Argyle Centennial Celebration. In addition, she wrote, produced, and directed "The Place is Argyle," a musical pageant presented annually by the Argyle Community Chorus in honor of Argyle's founding. With participation by Argyle churches, she also wrote, produced, and directed an annual Easter musical presentation.

Lynn was organizer and president of Communities Civic League, Inc., a nonprofit, community-focused, women's organization whose projects include ACCL Back-to-School program and Argyle Angel Tree. Also, Lynn and Larry organized the Argyle Senior Activities Center and served as directors for its first 6 years.

Lynn was founder and served as president of the North Texas Book Festival, Inc., a non-profit organization that raises funds for school libraries, public libraries, and literacy programs in the North Texas area at an annual event held since 2000 in Denton, Texas.

A respected author of children's books, Lynn first expanded into the genre in 1994 with publication of Sugar Lump, the Orphan Calf by Lynn Sheffield Simmons. The six-book series Bo, the Famous Retriever soon followed. Lynn's Sugar Lump's Night Before Christmas and Rowdy's Night Before Christmas were written in the verse style of the classic 1837 poem.

Lynn also researched and wrote three pictorial histories of Argyle: The Place is Argyle: Historical Facts and Recollections; Images of America: Argyle; and Argyle Then and Now.

Lynn Sheffield Simmons' personal papers, photographs, college essays, book manuscripts, and documents tracing her years of volunteer work and writing are archived in the Lynn Sheffield Simmons Collection in the Woman's Collection at Texas Woman's University Library.

Lynn was preceded in death by her parents and her husband, Larry Simmons, DDS. She is survived by her sons, Tread Sheffield Jr. and John Sheffield; her brother, Thomas Mitcham, and her grandchildren.

In Lynn's later years, her dear friends Terry Lantrip and Crystal Wood tended to her needs and helped her remain independent as long as possible, along with Johnny Beavers. They would like to thank Three Oaks Hospice, and Pam and Skyway Senior Care's compassionate staff, who made her last days comfortable and peaceful. At Lynn's request, there was no funeral. A private graveside remembrance was held at Graham-Argyle Cemetery.

Memorials may be made to Texas Woman's University Foundation; designate to "Woman's Collection" and send to Texas Woman's University, 1605 N. Bell Ave., Denton, TX 76204.