MILDRED WHINNEN, Obituary

CHINOOK Mildred Mae Whinnen, 97, died of natural causes on Saturday, Aug. 17, 2002, in Chinook.

Funeral services will be 2 p.m. Tuesday in Edwards Funeral Home Chapel with burial following in Kuper Memorial Cemetery.

Mildred was born New Year's Day in 1906 in St. Joseph, Mo., to James and Elizabeth Campbell. She moved to Montana when she was very young with her parents, who homesteaded in the Bear Paws.

Millie was an avid horsewoman and spent many hours riding as well as drawing horses. While a young college student in Billings, she answered an ad asking for a lady's companion to travel to San Francisco. She was hired and once in San Francisco, decided to stay and attend and work for an art institute. When the Golden Gate Bridge officially finished construction and opened in 1939, she walked across it.

Mildred met and married Eugene Kirby Whinnen while in San Francisco. They had three children. Millie and Gene later divorced and she moved the family back to Montana in 1952.

Among her many interests were painting, writing and reading. She went back to college while in her 70s to finish work on her degree, which was interrupted by her San Francisco adventure. She set an example for her family by working hard and taking things in stride.

Mildred was preceded in death by her grandson, Michael Trusty; brothers, John, Arthur and Maurice Campbell; sister, Blanch Mularkey; and son-in-law, Vince Trusty.

Survivors include her children, Eugene Kirby Whinnen of Havre, Marilyn Patricia Trusty of Missoula and Loretta Gail Park of Lewistown; grandchildren, D'Juana Cushing of Billings, Ed Hill of Havre, Cole Trusty of Missoula, Karyn Higgins of Chinook, and Ryan Higgins of Butte; sister-in-law, Eva Campbell of Chinook; four great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Memorials may be made to the Blaine County Museum.

Arrangements are by Edwards Funeral Home of Chinook.