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Lucretia Gaye Berkenbile Mills © Enid News and Eagle 11-20-2015 Submitted by: Glenn
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Lucretia Gaye Berkenbile Mills passed away Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2015. Services will be 3 p.m., Saturday at First United Methodist Church of Mansfield, Texas. Burial will be 3 p.m., Monday in Enid Memorial Park, Enid, Okla. Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m., Friday at Blessing Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Pancreatic Cancer Research-UT Southwestern, through Blessing Funeral Home.
On Nov. 18, 2015, Mansfield lost one of its strongest ambassadors and community leaders. Lucretia Mills was known for so many contributions to the Mansfield community. She established and directed the bi-annual citywide beautification project in 1988. That program still exists today. Out of its efforts, the city established the Keep Mansfield Beautiful Commission, of which Lucretia Mills was a very active part.She was very active in building not only the Chamber of Commerce but also the Ladies Division of the Chamber of Commerce.
Her contributions, along with those of her husband, Gary Mills, were instrumental in founding the Hometown Celebration festival. She was a proponent of the community theater and a member of the board of directors. She was a proponent of the Tarrant County boot camp program and volunteered her time and served as instructor.
As a Chamber of Commerce member, she led the charge at the chamber level for State Highway 360. She was a founding member of the Retail Merchants Association. Additionally, she was always active in her church and in any program that would showcase Mansfield.
As you drive through this beautiful community, or attend a Christmas parade, or participate in the beautification program or any function of the Chamber, realize that none of those programs would be what they are today without the contributions of Lucretia Mills and those people for whom she set an example for others to follow. Lucretia Mills was recognized in 1997 as a member of the Wall of Honor for having made a true difference in the betterment of the Mansfield community and she was a recipient of the Shirley Karznia Award.
Lucretia Gaye Mills was born Oct. 19, 1944, to Delmar and Alta Mae Berkenbile of Hennessey, Okla. In 1950, the family settled on a farm in Hunter, Okla. Prior to moving to Hunter, she and her oldest sister, Joyce Young, and her twin sister, Patricia Jenkins, attended a one-room school in Garber, Okla. After the move to Hunter, she attended school there, where she graduated in 1963. After high school, she attended Enid Business College in Enid, Okla., where she attained a secretarial degree. It was while attending business college that she met the love of her life, Gary Mills. They were married Sept. 11, 1966. Lucretia and Gary were employed at Champlin Petroleum Co. following business college. Their first move with Champlin was to Fort Worth and then to Sioux Falls, S.D., where Gary continued to work for Champlin and Lucretia devoted her time to staying at home with their children.
They had two children, Angelette Gaye Mills Rochen and Gregory Aaron Mills. In 1981 they moved to Mansfield for Gary to continue employment with Champlin.
After the children were grown, Lucretia began work in the offices at the Parks Mall and then began her career with the Mansfield Chamber of Commerce. She had a keen sense of pride in seeing Mansfield grow and prosper. She had a green thumb and loved to garden, and was a member of Mansfield Garden Club. Her passion was decorating the gazebo on the Mansfield ISD administrative grounds for the different seasons.
The family would like to thank Care of Excellence Home Health and Mission Hospice for the excellent care they provided her to live out her life with dignity and grace.
Lucretia is survived by her husband of 49 years, Gary; daughter, Angelette Rochen and husband, Terry; son, Greg Mills and wife, Kathryn. She was Granna to four grandchildren, Hunter, Ryan and Brooke Mills and Sarah Rochen. She is also survived by her sisters, Joyce Young, twin sister, Patricia Jenkins, and Jaquita Icenhower; and brothers, Dean and Chuck Berkenbile and their spouses.
She also is survived by her special Just Us Girls (JUGS) friends.
(Submitted by family)
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