Mildred May Wallish

The lessons Mildred Wallish leaves behind are numerous - lessons such as being content in all things, generously giving to others, and appreciating each moment, but her greatest legacy was in the love she freely and unconditionally gave to all those within her reach. Known for her gentle spirit, Millies heart beat to nurture and care for others including the children she loved more than life itself. With the love of her life by her side for more than 60 years, she rejoiced when grandchildren joined their family, and she just may have argued that it was her role as a grandmother that was her greatest blessing in life. Although life will never be the same without Millie here, the memories she leaves behind will continue to warm the hearts of those she leaves behind. Nestled within the vibrant decade of the Roaring Twenties was the year 1927 that boasted of great joy for one young family from Chicago, Illinois, as they were blessed with the birth of a healthy baby girl on May 3rd. Mildred May was the younger of two girls born to her parents, John and Helen (Nadolny) Warren. Although her fathers given last name was Wawrzyniak, he needed to change it to something more American in order to advance in his career in the local steel mills. Millies mother was a busy homemaker who skillfully nurtured her children. Along with her sister, Millie was raised in the family home in the city, and she was a big city girl to her core. She attended a local Catholic church with her family, was raised in a strict Catholic home, and attended a polish speaking Catholic school. Mildreds father was a sports fan and as a result, she developed a love of sports, especially listening to baseball. After graduating from high school, Millie worked a few odd jobs and with a lifelong love for sunbathing, she often frequented the beach with her friends. On one such occasion she was left stranded while sunbathing on a raft by some friends who were trying to have a little fun with Millie. As fate would have it, a young man named George Wallish came by to rescue the damsel in distress as she couldnt swim very well. There was an immediate attraction between them that neither could deny and with that, the first chapter in an enduring love story was written. After dating for a time, the couple eloped to Louisville, Kentucky, where they became husband and wife on August 7, 1948. Their wedding night was one they never forgot as they stayed in a cheap hotel that ended up having fleas in their bed. Before returning to Chicago the couple needed to rid each other of the pesky hitchhikers from their bed! They didnt tell their parents they were married and had an official ceremony in a Catholic church on November 13, 1948. For the first few years of their marriage, Millie and George enjoyed just being a couple, often getting together with friends. The couple was overjoyed to welcomed their first child, John, into their hearts and home in 1953. He was later followed by Keith in 1955 and Kim in 1958. Mildred completely immersed herself into her role as a mother and always put her children first in her life. In the early sixties their family of five moved to Grand Haven, Michigan, where Georges parents had been living. Once there, they were blessed with two more children, Jay in 1964 and Jamie in 1965. After moving around a bit, their family finally settled into a home on Griffin where they had more than an acre to spread their wings. With so much land they planted a garden each year, and the children were all responsible for helping tend to the vegetables. The Wallish family also raised chickens and ducks, too. Mildred loved gardening, and their yield was always plentiful which allowed her to do enough canning and freezing of their produce to get them through the winter until the garden began producing again the following year. Because Mildred lost her parents when she was just a young adult, she learned to cherish the unique love a family shares. She cherished her husband and children above all else and just enjoyed spending time together as a family. Millie was active in the lives of her children, serving as a den mother while her boys were in Boy Scouts for over four years. They also regularly traveled as a family to Chicago to see relatives - usually four to six times a year. Mildred loved big Sunday dinners that often included her homemade polish sausage. Getting sick was something her children actually looked forward to since their mother waited on them hand and foot! Through the way she lived her own life, Millies children learned to take pride in what they had. It was amazing to see the trouble she had with flying objects as it didnt matter what it was - frisbee, baseball, or football - they all seemed to find their way to hitting Mildred in some way, shape, or form. There were so many things Millie enjoyed throughout her life. She had a special place in her heart for animals while George tolerated them out of love for his sweetheart. Millie had quite the sweet tooth for chocolate and always had a secret stash somewhere. She enjoyed playing poker and often ended up winning, but since she felt bad about taking the money she usually returned it! After George retired the couple was able to travel more and keep up with various sports on television. In fact, the family even had to plan events around big games! They traveled all over, often to visit their children in Texas and Minnesota. Both Mildred and George were thrilled to become grandparents and loved spending as much time with their family as they could, taking every opportunity to spoil their grandchildren, too. They usually stopped at several casinos along the way as well. They downsized to a smaller home in Spring Lake where they were neighbors with Evergreen Acres. This worked out great for them because they could satiate their love for gardening by volunteering their time tending to the plants. Life was not without times of great sorrow for Mildred as she lost a daughter in 2008 and her beloved husband in 2010. A devoted wife, nurturing mother, and extraordinary homemaker, Mildred Wallish was a gift in the lives of so many around her. Her grace, humility, and timeless beauty will never be forgotten. Mildred M. Wallish died Monday, September 26, 2011. Mildreds family includes her sons, John (Dorothy) Wallish of Grand Haven, Keith (Renate) Wallish of MN, Jay (Martha) Wallish of MN; daughter, Jamie (Marc) Corrin of Marne; grandchildren, Paula (Nate), Michael (Angela), Trevor, Amanda, Nolan, George, Jack; great grandchildren, Ryan and Erin; great-great-grandchildren, Devon and Tracen; sisters-in-law, Joan & Beatrice. Millie was preceded in death by her husband, George; daughter, Kim in 2008; and sister, Henrietta; brothers-in-law, William and Edward. A private family service will be held at the Clock Life Story Funeral Home-Grand Haven. Interment at Spring Lake Cemetery. MEMORIALS: In lieu of flowers please consider donations to the Boy Scouts, Gerald R. Ford Council. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com to leave a memory or sign the online guest book.