Mildred Haats

Mildred "Millie" Haats, age 96, of Willmar, passed away peacefully at Copperleaf Senior Living Center in Willmar on Thursday, December 24.

A Celebration of Life service will be held at 11 AM Wednesday, December 30th, at Redeemer Lutheran Church, Willmar, MN, with visitation with the family beginning one hour prior to the service at the church. The interment will be in Fairview Cemetery in Raymond. Arrangements are with Peterson Brothers Funeral Home in Willmar. (www.petersonbrothers.com)

Mildred "Millie" Bertha Luise (Henslin) Haats was born October 13th, 1919, in Renville, MN, one of ten children born to Christ and Anna (Yock) Henslin. She was baptized November 22nd, 1919, and later confirmed at Trinity Lutheran Church in Raymond, MN. She attended school in Raymond and was proud of the fact that she earned her GED later on in life. Mildred was united in marriage to Bert John Haats on December 28th, 1935 in Raymond. Millie was a homemaker and worked for VSC, Inc. in Clara City for 23 years. Bert and Millie were members of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Clara City where she taught Sunday School and was a member of the choir and ladies aid. After Bert and Millie moved to Willmar in 1976, they became members of Redeemer Lutheran Church. Millie later started working at Torgerson's Clothing and Langer's Clothing Store and was a volunteer at Rice Memorial Hospital for many years. Approximately 3 years after Bert passed away, she became a resident of Copperleaf Senior Living in 2010.

Millie enjoyed gardening, baking, sewing, find-a-word puzzles, listening to polka, waltz and Christian music and watching the Price is Right and Wheel of Fortune. She loved her coffee, tea and sweets, a candy dish of jelly beans always by her side. She never left her residence without making sure she had her lipstick on. She looked forward to visits with her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren and her monthly visits from her pastor. Anyone who wore a smile quickly became her friend.

She is survived by her five children: Stanley (Kathryn) Haats, Maynard, MN, LaVonne (Charles) Carr, Rogers, MN, Deanne (Ronald) Beito, Buffalo, MN, Bonita (Steven) Andresen, Willmar, MN, and LeNae (LaVern) Teichert, Montevideo, MN; nine grandchildren: Todd (Iwa) Haats, Tanya (Steve) Shogren, Kelly (Brian) O'Neill, Kristin (Scott) Klein, Jennifer (special friend Brian) Beito, Michael Andresen, Philip (Tawnya) Andresen, Carrie (Erik) Shelstad, Paul ( special friend Caitlin) Teichert; fourteen great-grandchildren: Hannah, Kailey, Bergen, Cade, Cormac, Alex, Carter, Aedan, Ella, Ava, Mason, Lana, Soren, and Isabelle; three sisters-in-law: Doris Foesch, Evelyn Henslin, and Johannah Klaassen; and other relatives and friends.


Mildred was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Bert in 2007, five brothers, four sisters, one grandson and one great grandson.

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