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Mildred Kohler

April 19, 1912 - January 16, 2015
Vicksburg, MI

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Visitation

Monday, January 19, 2015
4:00 PM to 7:00 PM EST
Life Story Funeral Homes - Rupert, Durham, Marshall & Gren
Vicksburg Location
409 South Main Street
Vicksburg, MI 49097
(269) 649-1697
Driving Directions

Service

Tuesday, January 20, 2015
11:00 AM EST
Life Story Funeral Homes - Rupert, Durham, Marshall & Gren
Vicksburg Location
409 South Main Street
Vicksburg, MI 49097
(269) 649-1697
Driving Directions

Contributions


At the family's request memorial contributions are to be made to those listed below. Please forward payment directly to the memorial of your choice.

West Michigan Cancer Center
200 North Park Street
Kalamazoo, MI 49007
(269) 382-2500
Driving Directions
Web Site

Great Lakes Home Health & Hospice
6120 Stadium Drive
Kalamazoo, MI 49009

Flowers


Below is the contact information for a florist recommended by the funeral home.

Ambati
1830 S. Westnedge
Kalamazoo, MI 49008
(269) 349-4961
Driving Directions
Web Site

Heirloom Rose
407 S. Grand St.
Schoolcraft, MI 49087
(269) 679-3010
Driving Directions
Web Site

Life Story / Obituary


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PLEASE NOTE THE SERVICE TIME FOR MILDRED IS AT 11:00 A.M. NOT AT 1:00 P.M. 11:00 A.M. IS THE CORRECT TIME.

With unending love for those around her, Mildred Kohler was the heartbeat of wherever she was. She had a contagious zest for life and was always part of the fun - even during her sunset years. Mildred was a devoted wife and mother, but nothing was sweeter than becoming a grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-great-grandmother several times over. Quiet and composed, she was a gracious and reserved woman with a warm and approachable demeanor that drew others near with ease. She experienced so many of the best things that life has to offer, but what made everything she did so extraordinary was sharing these things with the ones she loved. Although she will be deeply missed, Mildred leaves behind a brilliant tapestry of memories that will remain a lasting treasure in the hearts of her family and friends.

More than a century has passed since our nation faced the trials of the early 1900s. Unsafe working conditions, a lack of child labor laws, and long hours on the job each day were commonplace. Children were more often found in the workplace than they were in the classroom, and of those who were in school less than 10 percent went on to graduate. Amidst this eventful time was the year 1912 that was met with great joy for a young couple from Cloverdale, Michigan, as they announced the birth of their baby girl on April 19th. Mildred Cleone was the youngest of four children born to her parents, Elliott and Elizabeth (Dickerson) Headlee, and she was joined in her family by her brother, Bernard, and her sisters, Genevieve and Helen. Her birth was a bit scary as she was a “blue baby,” which meant that she was a weak and sickly baby. Mildred’s mother nursed her while also providing her with the warmth and nurturing she needed to thrive and grow. Although she was still a weaker child who needed to take frequent breaks from playing to rest, this instilled within Mildred a strong spirit that would remain her constant companion throughout the rest of her long life. As was common during her generation, she attended local schools, but only through the eighth grade. Their family was given a tough pill to swallow with the death of her brother, a star basketball player, after contracting pneumonia when he was just 16 years old.

As a young woman Mildred searched for adventure, and with a love for traveling and moving she never stayed put in any one house for very long. It was also as a young woman that she met the young man who would forever hold the key to her heart. His name was Harold Kohler, and they met at a church dance. It wasn’t long before Mildred and Harold found themselves deeply in love. With a desire to establish a life together the sweethearts were married on November 7, 1931. As newlyweds they frequently moved around wherever Harold could find work as a jack of all trades. Together they welcomed four children including Clarence, Norm, Donna, and Ron into their hearts and home.

Although caring for her family was always first and foremost in her life, Mildred was also a woman of many interests. She spent several years working as a plate and tray maker at the paper mill. Mildred had a lifelong love for fishing, and she learned how to fish as well as how to handle turtles from her father. These were skills she also passed on to her own children. As someone who was quite crafty, and over the years Mildred made knitted and crocheted countless afghans and blankets. She had quite a sweet tooth, and it only got more prominent as she got older. Mildred had amazing baking skills, too, as she was quite famous for her coffee cakes, cinnamon rolls, molasses cookies, and other sweet treats. In fact, her family threw her a birthday party for her 102nd birthday last spring, and she had four generous pieces of her birthday cake!

As her family and friends can attest, Mildred enjoyed adventure. She loved traveling and was always up for a road trip. When Donna had a job delivering new vans, Mildred loved coming along just for the thrill of the ride. She took a trip to Hawaii, wintered in Florida for years, and together with Harold lived in Florida year round for several years, too. Mildred remained active for as long as she was able and while living in Florida she became quite a good shuffleboard player. In addition, Mildred was willing to go out to eat with anyone who would take her.

Life was not without times of trial for Mildred. In 1984 she was deeply saddened with the death of her beloved husband. Amazingly, or maybe not so amazingly to those who knew Mildred, she was a three time breast cancer survivor with her first diagnosis coming when she was only in her forties. As she got older, Mildred made the necessary adjustments that come with aging. She willingly surrendered her car keys when needed, and in 2007 she decided on her own that it was time to move into River Manor in Three Rivers. Mildred suffered with glaucoma and eventually dealt with hearing loss, but she never lost her strong spirit and love for her family.

All who knew Mildred Kohler would agree that she was truly beautiful on the inside and out. Generous, loving, and humble, her life exemplifies what it means to put the needs of others ahead of her own. Mildred loved to talk once she got to know someone, and her friendly personality made her the sort of person whom everyone wanted to meet. She will be deeply missed but never forgotten.

Mildred C. Kohler, of Schoolcraft, died on January 16, 2015 at Riverview Manor in Three Rivers. Visit with her family on Monday from 4:00-7:00 p.m. at Life Story Funeral Homes, Vicksburg; 409 S. Main Street (649-1697) where a funeral service will be held on Tuesday at 11:00 a.m. Mildred was preceded in death by her husband, Harold; brother, Bernard; and her sisters, Genevieve & Helen as well as a great-great grandchild. Mildred’s family includes her children, Clarence (Marilyn) Kohler, Norm (Melva) Kohler, Donna (Larry) Crouch, and Ron (Judy) Kohler; her 12 grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren, 16 great-great grandchildren and 1 great-great-great grandchild; and a special nephew, Don Ellis. Visit Mildred’s memory page at www.lifestorynet.com to leave a memory or photo. Memorial donations may be directed to Great Lakes Caring Hospice or West Michigan Cancer Center.

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