Florence Mills, of Montevideo, died on Sunday, April 13, 2014 at the Luther Haven Nursing Home in Montevideo at the age of 103. Funeral services will be conducted on Thursday, April 17, 2014 at 2:00 P.M. at the First Congregational in Montevideo with Rev. Richard Fylling officiating. Interment will be in Terrace Lawn Memory Gardens. Visitation will be one hour prior to services at the church.
Florence LaVerne (Sumner) Mills was born on November 19, 1910 in Lac qui Parle Co. near Dawson, MN to Manley and Naomi (Densmore) Sumner. She attended school in both Dawson and Boyd until her father got a job at the Milwaukee Road Round Houseand they moved to Montevideo and graduated from Montevideo High School. She attended teachers training and taught in rural schools for a number of years. She later attended nurse’s training and worked as a nurse in both Montevideo and Dawson. On December 9, 1934, she was united in marriage to Lee W. Mills in the first wedding held at the First Congregational Church in Montevideo. She was an active member of First Congregational Church in Montevideo, where she taught Sunday School, was involved with youth and adult choir, served as Sunday School Superintendent, was President of the Ladies Aid, active in Women’s Fellowship, baked communion bread and served on various committees. She was a member of the Degree of Honor, Amacitia Club, and was active with the Red Cross and Blood banks. She was a care giver, transported persons to metro area medical facilities and airports, involved with Relay For Life and Salvation Army, taught first aid, was an election judge, was active in AARP and taught the AARP Driver Safety Program. She was also the Grand Marshall for one of the few Fiesta Day parades that was rained upon. She enjoyed crocheting and crafts, enjoyed traveling on cruises, and took trips to Hawaii, Canada, Mexico, Africa and nearly all U.S. States, even in her 90's traveling to the Panama Canal, Alaska and Ireland.
She is survived by a son, Richard (and Jean) Mills of Edina, MN; a daughter, Jane (and Roger) Andresen of Montevideo; a son-in-law, Douglas Norman of Montevideo; nine grandchildren; nine great grandchildren; three great, great grandchildren and a number of nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Lee in 1990, a daughter, Margaret Norman in 1999, a son, Robert Mills in 2005, a brother Vernon Sumner and two sisters, Berniece Pride and Vergil Kregger.