Mildred Berry

Mildred Berry was a gifted and creative woman. Coming of age during difficult times provided her with a resourcefulness and virtue worthy of imitation. Mildred also had a generous spirit and loved to give of her time and talents.

The year 1916 was a difficult time for the world. World War I had begun and many American soldiers were fighting on the chaotic battlefields of Europe. In Pleasant City, OH, however, George and Mary (Bendis) Prok were celebrating a more miraculous occasion. They welcomed their daughter Mildred into the world on February 14th, 1916. It was already quite special for Mildred to be born on Valentine’s day, but that wasn’t all, it was also the birthday of her father, George. Mildred's birth name was actually Emily, but her family nicknamed her Ludenila, a Slovak name which came from their family origin. This name was later Americanized and she has since been call Mildred, or Millie.

Mildred was the seventh of 13 children. Her parents were immigrants who had struggled to come to America to create a better life for themselves. They were empathetic to other immigrants and were eager to help them whenever possible. Mildred’s mother, Mary, placed an "X" on the sidewalk outside their front door which indicated to other immigrants that their home was a safe place to receive a warm meal and a place to sleep. There was a number of times that Mildred herself, gave up her bed for a stranger who needed rest. Her father, George, was a coal miner and although Mildred was born in Pleasant City, George later moved the family to Cleveland, OH to find work. Moving away can be difficult for a child but Mildred was very close to her siblings and they were more like friends most of the time. They nicknamed her Ludenila, a Slovak name which came from their family origin.

Being in a large family often times means added work for everyone. All the children were responsible for the family chores, but Mildred, in particular, ironed 20 shirts a week. Her brother’s felt she did an outstanding job and often charmed her into ironing for them. Mildred was happy to help her brothers and she took pride in the work she did. Growing up in Mildred’s family meant taking personal responsibility for one another. Whenever a younger sibling misbehaved, the older siblings were disciplined as well. The punishment usually consisted of kneeling on rice in the basement. Everyone took turns getting into trouble, but, on Sundays, they took time to make things right. Each Sunday ,before church, the family would gather for a time of forgiveness by going around and forgiving one another for the things they had done or said that was offensive throughout the week.

Growing up during the times of the Great Depression made Mildred appreciate the value of things and she took great care in being resourceful. She reused just about anything and the backs of old envelopes were even used as scrap paper. Mildred left school after the eighth grade to find a job providing extra money for the family. Her first job provided the family with $2.00 each week. As a teenager she was able to find jobs at the theaters in Cleveland as an usherette, the Palace Theater and Ohio State Theater. Later in life, Mildred was able to receive her GED, which she was very proud of.

While working at the theater one day, Mildred’s eyes fell upon a handsome man named Carridan Peck Berry, who went by the name CP or Carny. It wasn’t long before he stole her heart and the two lovebirds set a wedding date. Carny and Mildred joyfully tied the knot on June 12th, 1937. Times were hard, so Mildred’s parents let the two newlyweds’ live with them for a while. Once Mildred and Carny earned enough money to purchase a car, her parents felt the two were ready to live on their own. They said that if Mildred and Carny could afford wheels then they could afford to put a roof over their head, and so their days of free rent came to an end.

Carny decided to join the Army Air Force to support his wife. Fortunately, during his years of service he never had to leave the country. His job did require them to move to Detroit, MI and then later the Berry family decided to move to West Michigan.

Mildred and Carny desperately wanted to have a family. It was difficult for that to happen, but 10 years after their marriage, in 1947, Mildred gave birth to their first daughter, Joyce. It was 11 long years later, before they were blessed again with another beautiful baby girl they named Gale. The days her two girls were born were the happiest days in Mildred’s life. She loved them so much and did not take one day with them for granted.

Mildred and Carny would often take the girls on trips back to Ohio to spend time with her family. From time to time, her sister, Betty, and her children, would come to stay with Mildred’s family. Mildred loved Betty’s kids like they were her very own. Her strong love for the children was obvious to them all and harsh punishment from her was not necessary to curb their misbehavior. Just knowing that they were going to disappoint their mother was at times enough for Joyce and Gale to straighten up. While the girls were growing up, Mildred worked outside the home, modeling at Wurzburgs and later working as a secretary for her husband. It broke Mildred’s heart to leave her girls for one moment and she continually looked forward to being reunited with them while she was away.

While at home, Mildred was an amazing homemaker. She taught the girls to clean and bake, in addition, she played the organ and could crochet and knit clothes and Afghans. Mildred and Betty had many recipes from their mother and most people who ate their food were convinced that they could have gone into a catering business together. Mildred lived to serve others and she did her best to be sure no one ever left her house hungry.

Mildred had a strong heart and a persevering will, which together, got her through some difficult times in her life. The year her first born daughter, Joyce, was to be married, Mildred suffered the loss of her marriage as well as the death of her mother, Mary. She then had to work more hours to provide for her independence.

Mildred did her best to stay busy and found both bowling and cards to be an enjoyable pastime. Even with macular degeneration, she proceded to ride the bus all over town, staying busy with her SOLO (Single Old Ladies Organization) as well as volunteering for the Salvation Army.

Mildred was not only an amazing mother, but an involved and devoted grandmother as well. She will be fondly remembered as an energetic soul filled with boundless love.

Mildred Berry, age 89 of Grand Rapids, went to her heavenly home on April 13, 2005. She was preceded in death by her 12 siblings. Mildred’s family includes her children: Joyce and Dave Looman and Gale and Jim Rigney; grandchildren: Linda and Ray Quintero and their children David and daughter Erica, Michael and Cory; Wendy Looman; Mark and Heather Looman and their children Chloe, Phoebe and Elly; Army Specialist Aaron Matthysse and Ryan Matthysse; nieces and nephews Dan and Adeline Prok, George and Joan Prok Jr., Tim and Connie Prok, Pat and Marty Prok, Mark and Jackie Prok, Leroy and Martha Prok, David Prok, Darine Prok, Ted and Eleanor Duklas, Thom Williams and Anne Grewe, Pat Williams, Marshall Woznicki, Tim and Michelle Woznicki as well as many great nieces and nephews.

To learn more about Mildred’s life, friends may visit with her family from 2-4p.m. on Saturday at the Heritage Life Story Funeral Home – Van Strien – Creston Chapel, 1833 Plainfield NE. A service to celebrate Mildred's life will be held on Sunday at 2:00p.m. at Second Congregational Church where friends may visit with her family from 1:00p.m. until the time of the service. Please visit Mildred’s personal memory page at www.lifestorynet.com where you can share a memory, order flowers online or make a memorial contribution. Memorials may be made to Hospice of Holland Home.