St.
Hilaire - Dennis Mills, 50, died Tuesday, September 1, 1998.
Services were held on Tuesday, September 8 at 11 a.m. at Calvary Lutheran Church in St. Hilaire. Deb Holmgren was the organist. Kelsey Carlson was the soloist. Urnbearers were Penny Iverson, Jill Altendorf, Brian Mills and Brett Mills. Military rites were provided by the VFW and American Legion Posts of Thief River Falls.
Dennis Wayne Mills was born on April 12, 1948 to Howard and Clessie (Hallman) Mills in Marianna, FL. He grew up and attended school there, graduating from Marianna High School.
He entered the United States Air force in 1966 and was stationed at the Baudette Air Station in Baudette as a teletype operator.
Dennis met Barbara Wold over the phone as she worked as a telephone operator for Northwestern Bell. They married on February 4, 1968 and lived in Baudette until Dennis was sent to Okinawa, Japan.
Following his honorable discharge from the Air Force, the couple moved to Thief River Falls where Dennis worked for Arctic Cat. In 1970, they moved to Fridley were Dennis was employed by RACCO for a number of years. Dennis and Barbara returned to the area, moving to their present home in St. Hilaire in 1974. Dennis was employed by Northwestern Hospital in maintenance and then as a registered EMT. For 10 years, he was the maintenance supervisor at Hillcrest Nursing Home in Red River Falls. In recent years, he has worked for Chateau Motel and Liquor Store and the St. Hilaire Liquor Store part-time while going back to school at Northland Community College where he obtained an Associate of Arts degree in business management.
Dennis was very active in government in St. Hilaire as a past mayor and long-time city council person. He was a past member of Northwest Regional Development Council and the American Legion Post in Red Lake Falls. He was a member of Calvary Lutheran Church.
He enjoyed hunting, especially with his children. He also enjoyed fishing and golfing, and his greatest joy was the time he could spend with his grandchildren.
Dennis is survived by his wife, Barbara; one daughter, Penny (Dale) Iverson of Ada; two sons, Brian (Melanie) Mills of Halstad and Brett (Ramona) Mills of Delta, CO; seven grandchildren; one brother, Donald (Hilda) Mills of Marianna, FL; four sisters, Merle Ladnier of Theodore, AL, Thelma (Charles) Carlton and Jean (James) Jarman, both of Marianna, FL, and Janice (Roy) Kelton of Sneads, FL; mother-in-law, Jean Wold of Thief River Falls; special uncle and aunt, Ben and Dorothy Wold of Thief River Falls; special friends, Jill and Jerry Altendorf; many brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents; father-in-law, Vernon Wold; one nephew; and two brothers-in-law.