Millie Francis Williams

Millie was born April 16, 1927 to Lorus and Edward Gemmer in Snohomish Washington. She grew up in Machias, Washington with three older brothers and two younger sisters. She graduated from Snohomish High School where she participated in photography and lettered in cheerleading. In 1945 she attended Washington State College, earning her education degree. It was at W.S.C. she met and married Ethan A. Williams on August 28, 1948. After graduating in 1949, they moved to Benton City where she taught at the local high school. The following year, Millie and Ethan moved to Spokane. Millie went on to become a full-time homemaker raising 5 children and fostering 4 other children. She was a 4-H leader, a member of the Five Mile Homemakers Club and instrumental in the Preservation of Five Mile Prairie initiative. Millie also became an entrepreneur showing and breeding dogs. Will O’Wisp Chihuahuas earned a reputation for champion show dogs that was known as far away as Japan and Korea. The family lived on their 10-acre farm for 44 years where Millie enjoyed gardening, canning, and baking delicious homemade bread and cinnamon rolls. She also enjoyed camping with extended family, traveling to dog shows, and writing her novels. Millie will be remembered for her creative thinking, insightfulness and being ahead of her time. She will be dearly missed. She is preceded in death by her husband of 58 years, Ethan, and 4 of her siblings. She is survived by her 5 children; Craig Williams (Betsy), Valorie Buller (Mick), Aleta Ostlie (Steve), Yvonne Velez (Alex), Blaine Williams (Robbin), 13 Grandchildren, 18 Great Grandchildren and her beloved sister Dorothy Schroeder. Funeral Services will be at Saturday, April 27, 10am, in the Alwin Chapel at Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home, 1306 N. Monroe St. Graveside Services will follow at 2pm at the Loon Lake Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Millie’s name to CASA - My Bag program for Foster Children of Spokane or Spokanimal. Online condolences may be made at HazenJaeger.com.