Mildred Anderson

Mildred Anderson, 99, of Huntington Beach, CA, and formerly of Wilmot, SD, passed away on Saturday, October 4, 2025.

Visitation services will be held on Friday, October 17, 2025, from 2:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. at Mundwiler Funeral Home in Milbank, SD. Burial will be held on Saturday, October 18, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. in the Wilmot Cemetery.

The service will be livestreamed and recorded and will be viewable at the bottom of this page.

Cherished mother and matriarch, Mildred Mary Anderson of Huntington Beach, California, passed peacefully into the presence of the Lord on October 2, 2025, surrounded by her daughters and her oldest granddaughter. Ninety-nine years loved, Mildred’s greatest calling was to her family and to friends who were like family. She was our safe place—accepting, encouraging, and kind—and she always kept a stash of homemade cookies in her freezer.

A “Dakota girl” at heart, she loved gardening and tended and nourished plants and flowers throughout her life. She made the best Thanksgiving dinners and always had leftover energy for playing card or board games with the children. Mildred was a thoughtful giver of gifts and a faithful sender of cards for birthdays and other occasions. A prayer warrior, she also memorized lengthy passages of Scripture, and her Bible was always within reach. She was an avid reader, loved watching sports, and kept up with all the news, making her an excellent conversationalist.

Mildred’s caregivers adored her, were touched by her caring ways, and were always astonished by her alertness and her mastery of technology—iPad, iPhone, computer, Kindle, email, texting, Facebook, Instagram, Instacart, cable TV—no problem!

Mildred was born on a farm near Wilmot, South Dakota, on September 11, 1926. She attended a one-room country school for several years before attending school in “town” and graduating from Wilmot High School. There she met Ray, who was a year older. After graduation, she attended business school and gained secretarial skills. When Ray returned from a tour of duty with the Army Air Forces, they married and had their first child while Ray attended South Dakota State University in Brookings, South Dakota.

The young couple spent several years farming in the Wilmot area until they moved to Pasadena, California, so that Ray could attend Fuller Theological Seminary. Mildred graciously made the transitions from a college student’s wife, to a farmer’s wife, to a theology student’s wife, to a pastor’s wife. After their years in Covina, California, as a pastor’s wife, Mildred was faced with an especially challenging transition that involved moving to Scotland for three years while Ray earned a Ph.D. Westmont College in Santa Barbara was their next destination as Ray began his teaching career. Later, Ray accepted a faculty position at Fuller Seminary, and they moved to Huntington Beach—their final earthly destination before Heaven called them to their eternal home decades later.

Through all her life adventures and new challenges, Mildred never failed to create a loving and welcoming home, support and encourage her daughters, embrace her sons-in-law, celebrate and care for her grandchildren (the greats and the great-greats), and find areas of personal ministry. One of her favorite projects was Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes (Samaritan’s Purse), which involved carefully selecting, purchasing, and packing just the right child-pleasing items. Mildred was generous with her time, efforts, and money, and she donated to many causes. She also worked for a few years as an instructional aide.

Ray once commented that Mildred was the strongest person he knew.

Left to cherish her memory is her loving family, two daughters: Carol (Tim) Purga and Ruth (Greg) Evans, five grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, four great-great-grandchildren, a sister-in-law and sister of the heart, Myla Kneeland, and several nieces, nephews, and their families.

Mildred is preceded in death by her husband, Ray S. Anderson; her parents: Charles and Mary Babb; her sister and brother-in-law: Lorraine and Karl Carll; and her daughter, Jollene Anderson.

Mildred was a woman of faith and an incredible example of unconditional love to everyone in our family. She lives on in our memories and hearts, and we know we will see her again.

#LoveIsEternal

 Lovingly written by Mildred's family.

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