Millie M Houtz

Millie Mae Houtz was born Amelia Mae Hudson on November 13, 2015 in Abdul, Nebraska to Hulda (Swanson) and Edward T. Hudson. She passed away at The Medical Center of Aurora, Colorado on November 20, 2013 at the age of 98.

Millie was the fifth of seven children, two brothers, and four sisters.  Shortly after her birth, the family moved to a farm north of Superior, Nebraska.  She grew up there and in the town of Superior. She met her future husband, Wyeth (Curly) Houtz in high school.  After graduating in 1933 she took some post graduate schooling.  After school she worked several jobs including clerking and stocking at the local Hesteds store and then bookkeeping for G.R. Dodds Locker and Ice Cream Shop. Times were hard during the depression. She told of having to ask each night whether she should come back to work the next day at Hesteds.

On May 17, 1941 she married Wyeth in Goodland, KS and they made their home in Superior.  A year and a half after their marriage, Wyeth was drafted to serve in WWII.   Millie lived for three years with her in-laws while Wyeth was overseas. After WWII they moved to Wray, Colorado where they both worked for Wyeth’s brother in the  Don Houtz Drug Store before they moved to Denver where Wyeth obtained his pharmacy license.

While in Denver, Millie spent her time helping Wyeth study his class material and even considered getting her pharmacy license as well.  They lived in the Cheeseman Park area and she often walked to the park to watch square dancers and other festivities. She marveled that a young woman alone couldn’t do that in today’s world.

After Wyeth graduated and obtained his pharmacy license, they moved back to Wray and they both worked for Wyeth’s brother in the Don Houtz Drug Store.  In June 1959, they bought the Walgreen Agency Drug Store from Don and settled in on an 18 year career of love and service.  Millie worked long, hard hours as bookkeeper, buyer and clerk.  She enjoyed buying jewelery, cosmetics and gifts and even though she never made “market week” in Denver, the store always had a unique variety of items for sale.

During this time she had two children, William Hudson and Margaret Ann. She enjoyed raising her family and working in the store.  She said the best part was the interaction with the customers and that was what she missed the most after they sold the store on August 1, 1977. After they sold the store, she found new time to enjoy her family and even found time for hobbies included playing tennis, traveling, crafts and gardening.

The family enjoyed traveling to many places including California, Oregon, New England, Texas and even Canada for the 1986 World’s Fair, not once but twice.  Millie and her husband always made an annual trip on Memorial Day weekend back to Superior to decorate graves, honor past family members and visit family. This was a tradition that Millie carried on including 2013.

In later years, she enjoyed trips to Branson, Missouri taking in 2 and sometimes 3 shows a day or visiting the sights and scenery of the surrounding countryside.  Several years, the trip included patiently waiting while tornados passed nearby, before resuming the trip.

After Wyeth’s death in 2011, she lived with her daughter and son-in-law, Raymond Flake in Centennial, Colorado.  Even though she made the physical move, Wray was still home and she was able to travel back and forth to Wray a couple times a month until health issues made the trip too hard.

Millie was preceeded in death by her husband, Wyeth, her two brothers, Robert and Edward Hudson. She is survived by her two children, Bill of Denver, Margaret Ann (Raymond Flake) of Centennial, her sister, Honey Hudson Schaaf of Superior, Nebraska, various nieces, nephews, step-grandchildren and step-great-grandchildren.

Services were held at Spellman-Schmidt Mortuary in Wray, Colorado on November 26, 2013 with Pastor Gary Rahe officiating.  Internment will be in the Grandview Cemetery in Wray.

Memorials may be made to the Audiology Association of America. Spellman-Schmidt Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.