Mildred Irene Usher

Usher, Mildred Irene Odell
Mildred Usher (96) of Cody, Wyoming died peacefully Tuesday, September 3, 2013 at West Park Hospital Long Term Care Center. Mildred was born on June 2, 1917 in Valley Falls, Rhode Island, to Frederick Albert Odell, Jr. and Ella Violet (Watt) of Cumberland. She married Elmer Bradbury Usher, Jr. of Cumberland June 26, 1943 in Christ Church Lonsdale, Rhode Island. They had four children who survive. Mildred was an active Girl Scout during her youth and a lifelong advocate. A 1938 graduate of Rhode Island College, Mildred was a high school mathematics teacher while raising her children in Michigan. After moving her family to Phoenix, AZ in 1964, she was a generous giver and active in community service work at various churches and hospitals and also volunteered teaching GED candidates and English Language Learners. She was a servant leader starting and growing a sewing group that made dresses for little girls and lap robes for the county hospital. At sixty-five Mildred learned computer skills in order to run payroll and job-cost accounting for her son's construction company. Mildred enjoyed cookouts and camping with family as well as traveling with travel groups around the world. She loved road trips and had a keen eye for finding wildlife in a natural habitat. She spent her later life at Absaroka Assisted Living in Cody where she enjoyed jigsaw and crossword puzzles. She liked to play Rummikub and other games with friends and loved watching most sports on TV. Mildred was very grateful to have been blessed with having her full cognizance right to the end so that she could make the choices that allowed her to depart this life with grace and dignity. She is survived by: daughters, Lynn (Dave) Fox and Dawn B Decot of Cody; sons, Richard B (Zella) Usher of Phoenix and Thomas H Usher of Burien, WA: grandchildren, Sarah Fox (Terry) Call and Catey Fox of Cody, Betsy Usher (Jason) Tondreau of Las Vegas, David U Fox of Andover, MA, Taylor B (Magdalena) Usher, Daniel D (Melanie) Usher of Phoenix, Lauren Odell Usher (Thomas) Sharpton of Oakland and Mary Audra Usher of Phoenix: and great-grandchildren; Jonathan and Natalie Call, Dylan J Tondreau, Braden D Usher, Tennyson B Usher, Everett A Sharpton and Cooper L Usher. Mildred was preceded in death by grandson, Dylan H Decot. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions in Mildred's name to the Girl Scouts. Contributions may be made online http://www.girlscouts.org/support/ or by mail Girl Scouts of the USA, Fund Development, PO Box 5046, New York, NY 10087-5046.