Mildred “Millie” Elizabeth Petsch went to be with the Lord on January 25, 2024. She was born on August 24, 1924 in Olympia, Washington to Samuel and Edith (Elenius) Anderson. She was baptized as an infant in the Lutheran Church and confirmed April 17, 1957 in the Episcopal Church.
Millie graduated from North River High School as valedictorian in 1942 and worked as a secretary in the Bremerton Navy Yard. Later, she worked as a receptionist in Beems Photo Studio, where she met her husband, Wayne, a Chief Petty Office in the Navy. They were married on July 14, 1945.
After the war, they moved to Palisade, Nebraska then Wyoming and finally southern Oregon in 1948, to raise their three children: Gregory, Suzanne, and Janilue. In 1968, Wayne, Millie, and Janilue moved back to Nebraska and farmed for forty years. Millie did the bookkeeping on the farm and also worked part-time as a secretary for the county attorney in Trenton, Nebraska.
She was an excellent seamstress and enjoyed her yard and flowers. Millie belonged to O.E.S, the Garden Club, and the McCook Art Guild. She took classes at McCook Community College and enjoyed painting on location trips with other students in the summer.
After Wayne passed away in 2008, she lived with her daughters and spent winters with her grandson, Joey, in El Paso, Texas.
Preceding her in death were her husband of 63 years, Wayne; sister, Janet; brother, Arno “Sam”; son-in-law, Larry; and granddaughter, Jodi Byers.
Survivors include her three children, Gregory “Greg” (Mary) Petsch, Suzanne “Sue” Byers, and Janilue “Jani” (Philip) Little; grandchildren: Joey (Yvonne) Byers, Janelle Byers, Sherry (Derick) Mitchell, Carla (Roger) Plant, Christi (Bernt) Korsness, Paula (Trent) Kleinow, and Sarah Rooks; great-grands: Kirsten (Luis) Byers, Katelin Byers, Dylan Mitchell, Drew Mitchell, Lauen Plant, Alison Plant, Keelie (Gavin) White, Megan (Calvin) Grant, Tyler Kleinow, Jordyn (Dain) States, Cole Kleinow, and Alex Rooks; great-great-grands: Hayden Kleinow, Everly States, Aria Rooks, Parker Kleinow, Aaliyah Mitchell, Henry and Hunter Grant, and Gracelyn White.
Cremation was chosen and memorial services are scheduled for Saturday, July 20, 2024 at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church in McCook. A private family inurnment took place in the St. Alban’s Episcopal Columbarium in McCook.
Online condolences may be left at herrmannfh.com. Memorials are suggested to St. Alban’s Episcopal Church of McCook. Arrangements have been entrusted to Herrmann-Jones Funeral Chapel of McCook.