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Facts and Events
References
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Obituary - Howard
MILDRED JANE VICE
On June 24, 1981 family and friends gathered at Grace Lawn Cemetery to pay their respects and mourn the passing of Mildred Jane Vice who left this life on June 21st.
Mildred or "Millie" or "Little Red" as she was affectionately called by her family and friends was born in Howard on December 20, 1920. She was the eldest child of six children born to Russell and Olive Vice. She moved with her parents and the other member of her family to Wichita in 1934 when her father accepted employment at the Veteran's Hospital in Wichita.
Although she spent only her first 14 years in Elk County she and other members of the Vice family visited the county often, spending whole summers and many weekends with their friends and relatives in the area. After graduating from the Wichita High School East where she was an active participant in many of the school programs Millie worked in the Wichita area until she was selected to serve her country during WWII in the new Woman's branch of the Navy called the Waves. She began her 33 month career after completing her basic training in California as a V-Mail Specialist in 1943.
Millie was especially talented in organizing sports and other recreational activities and subsquently transferred to the Naval Recreation Office in 1945 where her ability to stimulate the active participation of the various groups she was assigned to work for. After Mildred's discharge from the Navy in 1945, she became a leader in organizing the first Woman's American Legion Post in the State comprised of WWI and WWII women veterans. Millie also served as the first commander of the post which was named the Jean Bolan Post No. 330 and for her efforts was awarded the first Life Membership given to a woman of the American Legion in the state of Kansas.
In addition, she was chosen to be the first woman delegate to a national convention and was the first elected woman to attend as a delegate from the state in 1947.
Millie was active in politics in Wichita where she was a member of the Young Republican Club, the Sedgwick County Woman's Republican Club and the Abraham Lincoln Club. She worked for many years in the county court house with most of those years spent in the Treasurer's Office where she was 1st deputy to the Treasurer. She also ran for the office in 1948.
Most recently until her forced retirement because of her health, Mildred worked for the Fidelity Title Company incorporated of Wichita. Reverend Larry Grove of the College Hill United Methodist Church officiated at the 10 a.m. memorial service held at the Downing & Lahey Mortuary in Wichita.
Members of the Carter-Rader American Legion Post officiated at Grace Lawn during the moving military service which was complete with a salute by a rifle squad and taps.
Surviving family members attending the funeral were Mildred's mother Olive, from Wichita; her sisters Frances Thompson of Wichita. Herbert's wife Frances and three of their children, Robert, Sandy and Darren attended as did Tommy's wife Sherrie and their daughter Jonna. Don's son David also came from georgia. Kenneth Wisner, Millie's cousin, came from his home in Maryland.
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