Louise W. Mills

LOUISE WILLIAMS MILLS, mother, grandmother, relative and friend, died peacefully on Sunday after ten years of health problems. Youngest daughter of James Ambrose Williams and Hattie King Williams, she was born on February 7, 1930, in Atoka, Oklahoma. Three brothers and four sisters preceded her in death. Louise moved to Dallas after high school and met Robert Fitzhugh Mills on a bus when he was on leave from the Army and she was on her way to Oklahoma to visit her family. They were married for 44 years until his sudden death in 1994. They had two daughters, Sherry Lou, of Austin, and Sheila Lynn, of Dallas. She was "Nana" to granddaughters Rachel Sherry, of New York City, and Natalie Louise, a senior at Texas Tech University, who were the lights and center of her life for many years.

Louise's love of animals was legendary, and she supported many animal rights and rescue organizations. She loved her dogs and cats as family members and grieved at the loss of every one. Especially precious to her were Benji, Clancy, Casey, Shellie, Christine, Liebe, Buffy, Maggie, Carly, and most recently Curby and Hemingway (a 6-toed cat!).

She filled her house with pictures of family and collections of angels and chickens. She loved going out to lunch, reading Stephen King, musical theater and tending her plants. She sewed, crocheted, did crafts, ceramics, and needlepoint. She was a long time member of Urban Park Methodist Church until it closed a few years ago and then joined Eastminster Presbyterian Church last year.

In addition to her daughters and granddaughters, she is survived by brother Paul Allen of Cumby, Texas; son-in-law David Holt, Sherry's husband; numerous nieces, nephews, cousins; very special nephew Jerry Don Williams of Atoka, Oklahoma; beloved friends Gernot Heiser and Craig Collison. The family also has much gratitude for the loving attention and compassion given to Louise by caregiver Melanie Concepcion.

A small private memorial service will be held later this week. For anyone who wishes to honor Louise's memory, the family suggests donations be made in her honor to the SPCA or any animal animal rights/rescue organization.