Farrie Ann Mills

Farrie Ann Mills was born December 5, 1938 in Goodlettsville, Tennessee and passed very peacefully in the loving presence of her daughter, Sherry Birdsall, her grandson, Matthew Craven, and her son-in-law, Gregory Birdsall on April 10, 2015. She was 76 years old. Farrie was one of the four children of Beecher Clay and Edith Mae Matthews of Goodlettsville, Tennessee and grew up there, the loving sister to three brothers, Jack and Ronald, who preceded her in death, and her surviving brother, John (“JW”) Matthews who lives with his wife, Karen, and their adult children, Krysta McCain and her husband Dennis, and Holly Woollard, and their respective children in Wilmington, North Carolina.

Farrie was the most kind, gracious, generous, and loving person anyone could hope to have known and been privileged to have loved. If you knew her, you loved her. She always put other people first and only thought of herself last. Farrie inspired the best in others, by example, in the way she lived on a daily basis, always adhering to “the Golden Rule”. She was so many wonderful things to so many people, from loving sister, to a devoted wife to her deceased husband Thomas (“Whitey”) Mills, to a loving mother to her deceased son, Thomas Mills II, and her surviving daughter, Sherry. She was also an incredible grandmother of four grandchildren, including brothers Richard and Matthew Craven, and siblings Ragan and Thomas Mills III. Farrie was also the great-grandmother to Lilliana and Thomas E. Mills IV, children of her grandson Thomas and his wife”Gabby”. Also, she is survived by her nieces: Karen McBee of Buda, Texas; Stephanie Mills of Atlanta, Georgia; Jackie Taylor of Nashville, TN.; and Annette Sadowski and Barbara Lehto of Detroit, MI, as well as numerous other great- nieces and nephews who were very dear to her. Her deceased brother Ronald’s former wife, Norma Matthews Adams also survives Farrie, living in Detroit, MI.

Growing up together with her brother ,“JW”, Farrie always enjoyed playing good-spirited practical jokes on her friends and family; she had a great sense of humor. Farrie also loved animals, including her pet chicken “Matilda” and numerous dogs.

As a dedicated military wife, Farrie would always greet her husband’s squadron upon their return from worldwide temporary duties/missions, bringing lots of refreshments, good cheer, and food. She hosted many parties at her home for her husband’s squadron thereby enhancing the morale of his unit. For her children, she was unanimously elected as “Team Mom”, always bringing hamburgers and milkshakes for the whole team before their basketball or softball games.

To help support her family, Farrie worked very hard for many years as a waitress/cowgirl at the Little Red Barn in San Antonio, enjoying the western outfit employees were required to wear including a frilly skirt, white boots, and a cowgirl hat. She looked like model with her curled, big, blonde “Texas” hair. While working there, she tripped and broke her knee. Rather than asking any other employee to take her to the hospital, she drove herself in her stick shift transmission car as she didn’t want any of her fellow employees to forfeit any of their tip income. Subsequently, Farrie worked at Red Lobster for several years where she met another companion, Mr. Elbert Lowe.

Farrie fought Alzheimer’s disease, valiantly, for about the last fifteen years of her life, never forgetting her daughter throughout the progression of this terrible disease. Every time Sherry would visit her mother with a strawberry milkshake, Farrie would acknowledge Sherry with a smile and an occasional “I love you!” Several weeks before she passed, and with tears in her eyes, Farrie pulled Sherry’s hand to her heart. Although Farrie was unable to talk, Sherry knew that her mom was telling her that she loved her. There was no doubt that Farrie knew and appreciated all the love Sherry, especially, had shown her.

We know that Jesus has prepared a very special place for Farrie in our Father’s kingdom, and that she is rejoicing with the angels and the rest of her family that has preceded her. Farrie will be sorely missed by all….