Mildred E. Sellers

MILDRED EMMA VAN PATTER was born in Outlook, Washington November 23, l920. She was seventh in the line of nine children born to Datus and Emma Van Patter, homesteaders who arrived in Yakima Valley in 1905, during the era of land grant settlers. Mildred's childhood was spent playing with her siblings and doing various farm chores related to family livelihood and their new occupation of raising apples. Datus followed his sister and husband from South Dakota to join them in Yakima Valley. Visiting between families became part of the cousins' regular Sunday activities. They gathered at the Methodist Church with others from the community, then spent the rest of the day picnicking and talking together.

The year 1928 saw them leave the farm and move to Olympia, Washington due to Datus' asthma. This changed the direction of their lives. Children transitioned to city life in the era of the Great Depression. Already well trained in practical skills, they were able to work many jobs. Some went on to college after high school to enter professions while others attended trade schools. Mildred graduated from Olympia Business College and became a clerk and office worker.

Another transition that greatly influenced the Van Patters was involvement with a new church. Mildred came to a personal understanding of faith in Christ through her older sister Esther, the first to attend the Westside Chapel at the time of Rev. Maurice Kline. The young people's fellowship interested youth to attend the CMA Church. Preaching and teaching particularly drew two Van Patters to serve the movement in the Pacific Northwest as pastors' wives, and one more went overseas to Indonesia as a missionary. The bond between the Van Patter family and the Alliance has endured into the fourth generation. Not all Datus and Emma's children came into the CMA, but over the years all maintained faithful membership within Methodist, Baptist or other churches.

In the first year of new pastor Rev. J. R. Irwin of the Westside Chapel, he stopped by to invite the Van Patter family to visit the church. Datus and Emma with their family began attending services. That is when Mildred met Clarence William (Bill) Irwin and later began dating him. They were married in August of 194 l and settled in the Seattle area. Bill worked as a chauffeur and later as doorman at Fredrick & Nelson. Mildred did secretarial work at several firms. They became members of the North Seattle Alliance Church.

Bill and Mildred lived in California for two short periods of their married life. In the 1960s they moved to Chatsworth while Bill was chauffeuring a Seattle client. They enjoyed a second hiatus in the 1970s when Bill took a position as head doorman of the new Century Plata Hotel in Beverly Hills. Both times, they returned to Federal Way, Washington.

Mildred began work with Seafirst Bank in the trust department at the same time Bill began his new job as chauffeur to the president of the bank. They transferred church membership to the Tacoma Alliance Church after their first move back to the Pacific Northwest, where Rev. Ermond Homan was pastor and his wife Verna Mildred's sister. They felt "at home" in this congregation and remained for many years. Bill Irwin passed away November 30, 198 4, after 43 years together. This was a few months after retiring from Seafirst. Mildred lived with the Homans in Tacoma for 7 years.

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While vacationing with clear friends, Millie was introduced to Rudy Huber. They married in March 1992 and soon moved to Sun City, Arizona to a community having active retirees. They discovered a vibrant fellowship of older people with whom they Quickly made friends. Grace Community Church became their new home church. Rudy Huber and Mildred shared the joy of rediscovering love. They met a new set of friends as a couple by joining the choir and networking within the congregation. These were good and relaxing years. They traveled to visit Mil and Rudy's large and widespread family. They volunteered their service to civic organizations. On a cross-country trip Rudy suffered a sudden stroke and passed away on September 2, 1997. Mildred returned to Tacoma each summer to stay with Verna and Ermond. She pursued her musical talents by serving as pianist and joined the choir and a small vocal group. She enjoyed landscape art and has left a large number of paintings.

Jim Sellers began courting Mil by phone and letter, having known the Irwin family since Simpson days. Mil found joy and companionship again. She married Jim in July 2004 and he joined her in her Sun City home. Jim was a favorite vocalist at Grace Community Church. They both sang in the choir and were welcomed into circles of Millie's friends.

Mil and Jim moved into the Town and Country Manor, Independent Living, in Santa Ana, California in March of 2012. Here they met former friends and had activities and services provided. They transitioned to Assisted Living in October of 2013. In January 2014 Mildred suffered a fractured leg with other medical complications, she was moved to Skilled Nursing. She recovered well from the broken bone but remained under skilled care from then on.

Our dear Aunt Mildred passed peacefully into the presence of her Lord on May l, 2014 in Santa Ana, California. She was preceded in death by her siblings.- Winifred, Yates, Viola, Esther, John, and Verna. She is survived by two sisters, Virginia and Jean. We bless her memory. She leaves to us a tremendous legacy:

* The example of keeping close ties with family. She considered the children of her siblings as her own. This theme learned early sustained her throughout life.

* The example of how to accept step-children, treating them as her own, loving and nurturing them. While she and Bill never had children, the children and grandchildren of Rudy and Jim came to love Mil.

* The choices she made repeatedly in the face of loss and loneliness to build her life on faith in God, and to live it out in the fellowship of family and church.

* The virtuous character she exhibited before others, being a kind person, honest, diligent and full of integrity.

* The generous hospitality she always offered to family and friends, and the openness she had to receive strangers.

WELOVEYOU.MIL!