“Auntie Millie,” the love of my life, went home to Heaven on Jan. 6, 2019, while in hospice care at Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital, Wauwatosa. That name was given to her by the many children she helped their parents raise. It was not unusual to have a grown young woman shriek that name across the way in some public place and then embrace Millie in an affectionate bear hug years after she was retired.
She was born on June 8, 1941, in Peoria, Illinois, as Millirose Babcock, the third and last child of Virginia and Robert Babcock, her older siblings, Robert and Carol (Kelly), do not survive her.
We met on a fall day in 1961 at the Sheridan Inn in Peoria. For me it was instant love at first sight. For her … not so sure. In fact, as a condition for our first date, she specified it had to occur during daylight hours. Her instincts were good even back then.
We married on Aug. 28, 1964, more than 54 years ago.
I, Michael, survive as her husband with our daughter, Katyrose (Walker) Chapman, her husband, Larry, and their children Henry (18), Oliviarose (16), Genavive (13) and Evelyn (6), all of East Troy.
Millie and I accepted Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior in July and August 1976. For both of us it was a turning point in our lives and probably saved our marriage. We became foster parents first generally and then to special needs children, one of whom, Mark Allen Grignon, we raised as our son for over 18 years.
One of her most special gifts was her kind and caring spirit for people. Millie was a prayer warrior and had prayer lists and journals filled with the needs and requests from her loved ones, friends, and church for whom she faithfully prayed.
Millirose loved children-all children-and they loved her. Often during our life she would engage in conversations with children instigated by them knowing only that she had a kindness and sweet spirit. They could sense it.
She did daycare in our home in Sister Bay for 15 years followed by being asked to serve at Northern Door Child Care by one of the women who founded that organization and who had Millie watch her children before NDCC existed. She worked there for another 12 years or more.
Millie also was an avid blood donor. This past December she was contacted by a woman from the American Red Cross and asked to donate again. Millie responded she could not as she was dying of cancer. The lady paused for a moment and then advised Millie that over her life she had given 7 gallons of blood saving 171 lives. Millie called me right away in tears and said it was the best Christmas gift she had ever received. These were among the last words she ever spoke.
Her funeral will be at noon on Saturday, Jan. 12, at the Lakewood Baptist Church of Pewaukee, W274N1490 Riverland Drive. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. until the time of service at the church.
A memorial service is planned on her 78th birthday in Sister Bay in Door County.
Those who wish to donate to a memorial for Millie are asked to please give blood in her honor to the American Red Cross. Please see www.redcrossblood.org to give to this extremely urgent need.
We ask that you note your donation in correspondence to our family and/or on Church and Chapel Funeral Home’s obituary page for Millie at www.churchandchapel.com.
