Full of life until her last moments, Mildred “Millie” J. Churchill McGath Hillman, passed away peacefully on Sunday January 12, 2020 with her family by her side.
Mildred was born on November 25, 1924 in Volinia Township, Cass County, Michigan to Ray and Ruth (Elliott) Churchill. She graduated from Dowagiac High School in 1942 and Cass County Normal in 1943.
On February 8, 1946, she married Clair W. McGath of Berrien Springs, Michigan upon his return from the US Navy. He brought a daughter, Shirley Ann Brennan (deceased, 2016) (David), into the marriage. Together Clair and Mildred had three children; David Clair McGath (deceased 2003), Bette J. Otte (Russell) of St. Joseph, Michigan, and James L. McGath (Tammy) of Avondale, Arizona. She leaves behind grandchildren; Amy McGee, Robin Featheringill, Catherine McGath, Alyssa Pliml, Brent Otte, Cori Bennett, Joshua McGath, Jason Mooberry, Jennifer Gonzales, Audrey Plummer, James Young, Vickie Angelly, and Margie Childress. She also is survived by numerous great grandchildren, great-great grandchildren, nieces and nephews and a special cousin Leroy (Lee) Sheline.
Mildred began her teaching career in Cass County, Michigan where she taught for four years in one room country schools. After the birth of her children she went back to teaching in Berrien County, Michigan at Fair Plain Junior High. She became interested in special education students who were suddenly thrust into a learning environment that they couldn’t cope with. She was instrumental in helping develop a special education pre-vocational program at the Benton Harbor Junior and Senior High Schools. After four years she moved to Dowagiac High School Special Education until her employment at Lewis Cass Intermediate Schools. At Lewis Cass she was first coordinator then director of special education for Cassopolis, Dowagiac, Edwardsburg, and Marcellus school and their own programs at Brookside Learning Center in Cassopolis, Michigan. She retired in December 1985 after eight and a half years, completing a 36-year career. She received her BA from Western Michigan University in 1965 and her MA in special education in 1974.
Mildred and Clair operated the M&C White Elephant Shop in Volinia, MI for 14 years until her retirement. They then spent summers in Michigan and winters in Arizona until 1998 when Clair died in February after a six-year battle with cancer.
Mildred married Lester R. Hillman in May 1999. Lester was a retired submariner (Lt. Ret.). They continued her snowbird life, living Glenaire Park in St. Joseph, Michigan in summers and Sun City West, Arizona in winters. Lester died in November 2012. She has two surviving stepsons, Stephen (Tamara) Hillman and Mark Hillman.
Mildred enjoyed music and was touched by special songs throughout her lifetime. She was proud of her career and affected many lives as a teacher. She enjoyed people and sharing found treasures with those she met in their shop. She loved doing craft projects and gifting intricate crocheted blankets to each new member of the family. Mildred was an avid reader, she read a book a week up until her last few days. She loved traveling and was able to see much of the world. She was able to travel twice through Europe with Clair and visited many states as they drove back and forth between Michigan and Arizona. She visited Alaska, New Zealand and Australia with Lester and then in 2017 at the age of 93 she went to Hawaii with her family. She was able to visit the east coast in 2018 to see her sister-in-law Pat Foster and visited many states along the way. Mildred managed to set foot in all but two US states within her lifetime.
Mildred and her four siblings all enjoyed long lives together. Her sister, Esther King, died in 2016. Her other sister, Frances Perry, known to all as Peggy, and her brothers Darwin (Gertraud, who survives) Churchill, and Charles Ray (Betty, who survives) Churchill, died in 2018.
A celebration of life service will be held at 11 am on Saturday, January 18, 2020, at Clark Chapel, 405 Center St., Dowagiac, MI. Burial will follow in South Wayne Cemetery. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service from 10-11 am also at the funeral home. Memorial contributions may be made to Brookside Learning Center. Those wishing to send a condolence online may do so at www.clarkch.com.
Posted On: Monday, January 13, 2020 1:24 PM
