- Date Of Birth: June 1, 1933
- Date Of Death: October 14, 2018
- State: Texas
Ethel Hester Mills, June 1, 1933 – October 14, 2018.
Ethel (Hester) Mills left us for Heaven October 14, 2018. As she wished, she passed away peacefully in the presence of her family at her home in Belton, Texas.
Hester was born June 1, 1933 to Zelpha A. (Smith) and Charles Otto Upton. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 59 years, Mearl K. Mills, her parents, and her siblings, sisters, May Moulder, Mabel Mills, Carrie Hicks, Faye Campbell and brothers, Jewel, Ira, Claude, Paul and Clyde Upton. She is survived by her daughter, Linda D. Mills, Linda’s partner, Sean Bowie, her son, Randall Mills and his wife Susie Mills, son Ron Mills and his partner Linda Moberg. She is also survived by four grandchildren; Christina (Mills) Hedeen and her husband Sean Hedeen, Brad Mills, Stephanie Mills and Amanda Mills. She is also survived by one beautiful great-grandson, Sawyer Hedeen.
Hester brought life, love and laughter to everyone she met. Although her life was not without struggles, her unmatchable strength, spirit and optimism pulled her and all those around her though these times with love and grace.
Hester was well-known for her wonderfully large laugh, which was said could be heard for miles across Missouri. This was usually accompanied by a hearty knee slap that would make one both laugh and cry simultaneously! She loved dressing in costume and trick-or-treating alongside her kids every Halloween, and looked forward to playing pranks on everyone she could during April Fool’s Day.
Hester moved at age 17 to Kansas City, Missouri, where she worked for Allstate Insurance. She also worked for State Farm Insurance in Lee’s Summit, MO, and spent many years at the US Department of Agriculture from where she retired.
She fell in love with Mearl Mills and they were married June 19, 1955. Both Warsaw, MO natives, they shared their love of farming and gardening, raising and canning their own garden crops, churning butter and raising some of the finest registered Polled Hereford cattle in Missouri.
She moved to Belton, TX in 2015 and has been an active member of Fellowship Baptist Church in Morgan’s Point, Texas where she helped with vacation bible school and other activities. She was also active at the Belton Senior Center, where she helped in sending gifts to deployed military members an enjoyed many, many wonderful friends.
