Obituary of Marjorie Mills

Loving wife and beloved grandmother Marjorie Post Mills, 95, died Thursday, June 1, 2006, at Dameron Hospital in Stockton. Mrs. Mills was born November 19, 1910, in St. Louis, Missouri, the cherished only daughter of George Washington Post, a saloonkeeper, and his wife Bertha Mary (Graves) Post. One infant brother, George W. Post, preceded Marjorie in death. After her father passed away when Marge was three, she and her mother moved to Kansas City, Missouri, where Marge attended Woodland School. During these years, Marge became interested in music, learning to play both the mandolin and the violin. She later attended Manuel High School in Kansas City. Marge sang in the local Central Methodist Church choir, and the director there gave her free singing lessons because of her promising voice. After high school, she worked at Prudential Insurance Company for 10 years. She later moved to California, settling in San Francisco with her mother. There she married Adrian Warner; their brief marriage ending in divorce. On April 8, 1947, she married John Paul Mills, and they remained happily together until his death December 6, 1973. After developing an interest in African violets in the 1930's, Marge's love of plants became a passion and later a business. She helped found the African Violet Society of San Joaquin County and operated the Tropical Nursery, where she specialized in both African violets and other exotic plants. The first violet she grew was called "Wisconsin Blue Boy," and she had that same plant until she retired over 50 years later. She was also a member of the Orchid Society, the Lockeford Grange, and the California State Grange. Besides her husband, one grandchild, Kathleen "Missy" Uhlich, predeceases her. She leaves six grandchildren: James Ward III of San Francisco, Peggy Ward Engh (Christopher) of Stockton, Tim Ward (Sonia) of Pine Grove, Tony Ward (Brooke) of Burbank, Tom Ward (Barbara) of Merced, and Mary Graham (Jeff) of Acampo. She also leaves two step-daughters, Charlotte Ward of Acampo and Jeanne Towns of Stockton, and eight great-grandchildren. Marjorie's memorial service will be held Friday, June 16, 2006, at 5:30 p.m. in the Fireside Lounge at Rio Las Palmas, 877 East March Lane, Stockton, CA 95207.