MILDRED WYRSCH Obituary
On Wednesday, August 28, Mildred Wyrsch, loving wife and mother of three, passed away at the age of 95.
"Millie" was born Mildred Doris Gustafson on June 4, 1924 at Snoqualmie Falls Hospital in Snoqualmie Falls, Wash.
Her parents, Lars Gustafson and Elizabeth Johnson, emigrated from Sweden and settled in Snoqualmie in 1921. She had two sisters (Alyce, Helen) and a brother (Theodore). Some of her favorite childhood memories were going to parties at the Moose Hall where she slept on the coats while everyone danced the night away. Her love of ice cream dated back to childhood, when the family would drive to North Bend for ice cream, eating it in the car and watching the traffic go by.
After graduating from Snoqualmie High School, she attended the Metropolitan Business College in Seattle and landed an office job at the Snoqualmie Falls Lumber Co. About this time, she started going out with George Wyrsch.
George was 10 years her senior, a divorcee and playing the field (Millie's words). George fell head over heels for her saying, "The best day of my life was when I met Millie." On their second date, he told her he loved her. Every day for three years, George wrote her "Dearest darling Millie" letters while he served in the U.S. Army during WWII.
George came home from the war in January 1946 and on Feb. 16, 1946 they were married at the North Bend Community Church.
George and Millie had a very happy marriage and three children: George Jr. (1947), Carolyn (1949) and Mary Ellen (1952). George worked long days at their gas station while Mildred was busy raising kids and taking care of the house.
Tragedy struck in September 1959 when Millie took Mary Ellen for a drive to look at new homes. Coming back, they had a terrible car crash. Mary was killed instantly and Mildred was in a coma for three days.
Millie was very proud of her family. George married Sharon Stevens and they had two children: Bryan (Tessa Baker), and Deborah (Steve Moller). Carolyn married Paul Kriegel and they had two children: Jeffrey (Kelcy West) and Timothy (Nora Luz Emerson). She has eight great-grandchildren: Molly and Charley Wyrsch, Ellie and Lucy Kriegel, Tyler and Jack Lukas and Nico and Leia Kriegel. Her grandchildren and great-grandchildren have many memories of apple jacks, root beer floats and ice cream sundaes with Grandma. She had beautiful sparkling blue eyes and an amazing smile that lit up the room.
George and Mildred loved shiny new cars, dancing and traveling. George retired in 1978 and they were able to travel throughout the U.S. and to dozens of countries. They became "snowbirds" spending winters in Hemet, and later moved to Stanwood in 2004. George died in 2010.
Millie missed him greatly, but often said, "We had a wonderful life and a great family. Life is truly beautiful!"
Published by Stanwood Camano News on Sep. 17, 2019.