Mildred "Millie" Ray

MILDRED "MILLIE" ARLENE (BERG) RAY was born May 2, 1923 to Olaf and Gida (Wold) Berg in rural Baltic, SD. She attended grade school and high school in Baltic. After graduation she moved to Indianapolis, Indiana with her parents and brother. There she worked for Mcquay Norris. She was united in marriage to Harry Ray on May 26, 1951. Mildred “Millie” lived in Southern California for most of her adult life, returning to Baltic for a few years to help her mother. She was employed as a cook for most of her working years. She worked at Oien’s Café in Baltic, Sioux Valley Hospital in Sioux Falls, The Odd Fellows Home in Dell Rapids, South Dakota, Hazel’s Donut Shop in Hesperia, California, and Meals on Wheels in Hesperia, until her retirement at the age of 70. Millie moved to Arizona to live with her daughter, Lois until the fall of 2003 when she moved to Jasper. She lived in the Jasper Quarry apartments for many years until moving to Jasper Sunrise Village where she resided until its closing in June 2020. She then became a resident of Falls Landing Assisted Living in Pipestone where she lived until entering Hospice at Good Samaritan in Pipestone. Mildred passed away on Friday August 27, 2021 at Good Samaritan Hospice surrounded by her family.

Millie was an adventure at heart and traveled to many places in her lifetime. Millie never learned to drive until she was 41 years old. Once she learned you couldn’t stop her. Her first car, her pride and joy, was a Blue Studebaker. One of the hardest things that Millie had to do was sell her car when she could no longer drive at the age of 93. Millie enjoyed going out to dinner and seeing a movie with her friends from work and was a member of the Sons of Norway. Mildred was an avid crafter enjoying sewing, crocheting, and quilting. She even took up candy making and cake decorating later making her son’s wedding cake. Millie visited almost every Indian Ruin in the states of Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado. Millie’s greatest joy was a family vacation. She enjoyed spending time with her children and grandchildren.

Mildred had a very full life and lived all of her 98 years on earth to the fullest.

Mildred is survived by her children, Lois (James) Mead of Pahrump, Nevada, Doris (Gary) Mead of Jasper, Minnesota, and Harold (Rosemary) Ray of San Bernardino, California; sisters, Julette (John) Kapler of Oceanside, California, and Olga Briley of San Diego, California; grandchildren, Sherrie, James, Scott, April, Tina and Katie; 14 great grandchildren; and 2 great-great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her father, Olaf Berg; her mother, Gida Berg; and brother, Arnold Berg.

Special thanks to very special friends Jeanne Facile, Pastor Harry Flanagan, Cindy Reick and Deb Childers.