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Shirley Jean Mills

Shirley Jean Mills (Contributed)

Born: Feb. 22, 1931

Died: April 12, 2019

Shirley Jean Mills, 88, of Marseilles, passed away Friday, April 12, at Joliet Area Hospice House.

Memorial services were held Sunday, April 14, at Seals-Campbell Funeral Home with Rev. Steve Larson of the Morris First Baptist Church officiating. Burial will be in Riverview Cemetery at a later date.

Shirley was born Feb. 22, 1931, in Marseilles, to Richard and Ruby (Presley) Miller. On Feb. 22, 1948, she married Raymond O. Mills, of Marseilles, who preceded her in death in 2007.

She has left her family with a lifetime of memories. These are some of the most cherished: a ride along on the Marquette school bus, swinging on the big porch swing on the front hill overlooking Marseilles, which was loved by every child who came into her house, Christmas cookies loaded into Nabisco fruit cake tins, the cookie drawer every kid knew that contained treats, traveling across America in a truck camper, fishing and camping in the Sawtooth Mountains of Idaho, swimming in the natural heated pools, playing Yahtzee and “marbles” on a picnic table by the light of the campfire, lucky casino nights with grown up grandkids, having a tiny cup of “coffee” daily with a little blonde headed girl who just happened to live next door, making kites out of colored paper, dancing in the front room on Sunday afternoons, eating watermelon and saving the rinds to make watermelon pickles, sewing Christmas and Easter dresses for 3 little girls, her love of sewing quilts, and playing endless board games with her grandchildren.

Shirley’s giving spirit was bountiful. Her gift to all of us are the endless memories, which we will carry with us forever. Peaceful rest, Mom.

Shirley was loved dearly by her three surviving daughters, Cheryl (Terry) Smith, of Alabama, Janet (Chad Gietler) Cheatham, of Tennessee, and Cathy (Steve) Wright, of Kentucky; cherished by eight grandchildren, Bill, Kelly, Lesley, Steven, Chris, Jodi, David, and Jenny; along with many great-grandchildren, who have grown up alongside 'Gram'; and her sister, Betty Carrol, of Marseilles.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Ray and sister Joan Maltas Toftoy.

The family requests any gifts to be directed to the Marseilles Nursing Service.