Mildred Coloma Wilcken

Mildred Coloma Rivera Wilcken was born to Roque Esmeralda Rivera and Catalina Lucas Coloma on April 17th, 1943, in the town of San Manuel, Tarlac, Philippines. She was raised alongside her eight brothers, and three sisters who passed away in childhood, working on a small family farm. As an adult, Millie became one of the first in the Philippines to be baptized as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints while working on Clark Air Force Base. While attending church, she met a talented young airplane mechanic named Willis Lane Wilcken Sr. They married on November 16th, 1968, and moved to the U.S. where they raised a family of eight children- Willis Jr., Lane, Cathy, John, Joseph, Lydia, Clarissa, and Jared Wilcken between Utah, California, and Arizona.

No matter where she was, Millie was known to be a lively, hard-working woman who loved her sweets, her sparkles, and her community. She was an active member of the Relief Society, and often made friends with other Filipinos new to their town to invite them for dinner and church. Every Sunday, you could find her in the chapel with her husband, with manicured hands and her scriptures open. As time went on, she became a loving grandmother to many grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, and enjoyed hosting large family gatherings in their Arizona home.

After a long journey with Alzheimer’s Disease, Millie passed peacefully at home on October 23rd, 2026 with her children beside her. She lived to the age of 83 (although she would insist we say 16). Her posterity includes 8 children, 53 grandchildren, and 15 great-grandchildren. While we take comfort in knowing she is reunited with her husband, parents, and siblings in heaven, she will be deeply missed by all the lives she touched and enriched with her love.

Agyamanak Unay, Grandma, thank you for your time with us. Have fun up there, and tell everyone we love and miss them.