Charlene Mills

Emily "Charlene" Whitworth-Andrew-Mills was born on May 30, 1938 at the family home in Wade, Oklahoma. She died on July 11, 2025 at age 87 in Durant, Oklahoma.
Emily Charlene lived in Wade until 1953 when she moved to Durant. Throughout her life there she worked for Corner Drug, Gibson's Discount Center, Durant Bank and Trust and finally First United Bank before retiring. She was a wonderful singer (even backing up Lowell McManes on one of his albums), cook (who owned the Sugar Shack café and served tons of hamburgers to hungry high school students in the mid-60s and later compiled a recipe book of her tasty dishes including her chicken and dumplings which was a favorite at many a church luncheon), writer (whose poems and stories were published in a book by her children and was surprised with a book-signing at her 80th birthday party), genealogist (who definitely got her money's worth from Ancestry.com tracing our family history back to the 1600s) and avid collector (who would joyfully show any visitor to her house her treasured Barbies, brooches, carnival glass and whatever else happened to be tickling her collecting bone at the time).
She loved the town of Wade, writing many stories of her childhood adventures and putting together a list of all the families who lived there when she was growing up.
In 1960 she married Edward Andrew and they were married until his death in 1979. She met the "Love of her Life" Reverend Robert Mills in 1983 and they were married until his death in 1996. Robert and Emily Charlene loved to travel and collect antiques.
Emily Charlene was preceded in death by her parents Joseph Lewis Whitworth and Sarah Lillie Hardiman-Whitworth; four full siblings Odie Lloyd Whitworth, Joseph Lewis Whitworth Jr., Artie Hansel Whitworth, and Aaron Gomer Whitworth.
She was also preceded in death by half siblings from the first marriage of her father Joseph Lewis Whitworth: Opa Whitworth-Penuel, Vera Whitworth-Williams, James Otto Whitworth, Joseph Clyde Whitworth, infant daughter Whitworth, Naomi Whitworth-Byrn, and Opha Edith Whitworth.
Emily Charlene is survived by Dean and DiAnn Mills of Houston, Texas and their children Ben and Machille Egert, Brian and Maria Egert, Beau and Allison Egert, Brett Egert (Deceased) plus their grandchildren Grace Egert, Lane Egert and Ruby Egert; Wesley and Roberta Morgan of Marietta, Oklahoma and their children David and Kim Staton along with Chris and Toni Morgan plus grandchildren Kaygan Staton, Karrington Staton, Lincoln Staton, Camden Morgan and Blaine Morgan; Gerald and Pamela Whitworth of Glenpool, Oklahoma and their children Jeremy and Tiffany Whitworth of Kiefer, Oklahoma along with Ian Whitworth of Glenpool, Oklahoma plus grandchildren Jackson Whitworth and Sara Winfrey; Russell and Penney Andrew of Fort Worth, Texas. She is also survived by many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
A graveside service will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday, July 19, 2025 at Highland Cemetery in Durant, Oklahoma with Marcus Whitworth officiating.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Alzheimer's Association or your favorite charity. https://alzfdn.org/donate/
The family would like to thank the wonderful staff of Featherstone Assisted Living and Centric Hospice for taking such great care of Emily Charlene!
Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Gordon Funeral Home, 221 N. 3rd, Durant, 580-916-9090