Mildred "Millie" Carey

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Mildred “Millie” Carey, 84, Gettysburg, passed away Friday, October 24, 2014 at the Good Samaritan Society in Selby.

Funeral services were held at 1:00 p.m., Saturday, November 1, 2014 at Grace Bible Church, Gettysburg with Pastor Scott Crook officiating. Burial followed in the Gettysburg Cemetery. Visitation was held from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., Friday, October 31, 2014 with a 7:00 p.m. prayer service, all at the church.

Mildred Lorraine Bell was born May 8, 1930 to Ralph and Cora Tannis Bell. She was born in Taft Hall on the Campus of Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, Illinois. Millie grew up in Lombard, Illinois. She was the 3rd of 8 children. At age 10 her mother passed away. Two years later she was blessed with wonderful new mother Margaret Henrickson. Somewhere around age 12 the church organist, who was a friend and VBS teacher, shared Christ with her. She accepted Christ as her savior several days later. She graduated from York Community High School in Elmhurset in 1948. She attended Northwestern Bible College in St. Paul and graduated in 1951 with a degree in Christian Education. She went on to attend Ravenswood Hospital, School of Nursing in Chicago.

While Millie was attending Northwestern and working in the Food Service, a young man came through the line that thought she was quite a beauty. He wanted to get to know her better. Richard decided she was the one!

On November 23, 1953 Millie married Richard Carey. They lived in Duluth, MN while Richard completed his time in the Air Force. Later they settled on the farm in Gettysburg where they lived for most of her adult life.

Millie and Richard were charter members of Grace Bible Church and hosting services in their home until a church building was found. The kids remember not enjoying this so much because the house was still in the process of being built so they had to do lots of cleaning on Saturday! She was active in her church, singing, leading children’s story time, children’s ministries and AWANA. Vacation Bible School was eagerly anticipated every year. She never missed an opportunity to open her home for devotions, counseling, listening to friends and sharing her faith.

Millie and Richard loved children, and their home was open to all. She enjoyed having kids over for any reason. One of her favorites was serving meals especially breakfast, her famous chocolate chip pancakes were always a winner. She loved holidays and invited everyone, the more the merrier. Halloween parties, sledding parties, big bonfires and hayrides to name a few were enjoyed by many. Everyone was family after 24 hours!

Her greatest joy was Jesus Christ and sharing Him with everyone she knew. She invested herself in every person she met caring about their joys, problems, sorrows, family and their relationship with Christ. She never wanted to leave a friend behind.

She is survived by five sons: Dan (Anita) Carey of Omaha, NE, Bill (Jayne) Carey of Whitewater, KS, Greg Carey of Gettysburg, SD, Joe (Charlotte) Carey of Rapid City, SD and Mark (Angela) Carey of Cedar Hill, TX; five daughters: Carol (Royce) Ritter of Akaska, SD, Karen Carey of Wahpeton, ND, Betty (Bill) Gajeski of Minneapolis, MN, Diane (Jeff) Moench of Aberdeen, SD, and Jennifer (Pete) Centineo of Rapid City, SD; many foster children; brother Carl Bell of Florida; brother-in-law Robert Carey of Hope, KS; 22 grandchildren; and three great grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband Richard Carey, daughter Marcie Ritter, her parents and six siblings.

Luce Funeral Home of Gettysburg has been entrusted with Millie’s arrangements.