On October 8th, Mildred Irene Lappage passed peacefully at Princess Court.
Millie was born on the family farm in Barclay on September 26, 1925 to Irene Hoffstrom and William Findlay, a sister for older brothers William (Bud) and James (Jim). Soon Jemima (Toots) arrived, followed much later by her most beloved little sister, Caroline (Ruby). Many summers were spent with her grandparents, aunts, and uncles at the Hoffstrom homestead on Thunder Lake. She was very proud of her Swedish heritage.
Millie attended Bedworth School, the beginning of many lifelong friendships. She worked at the St. Regis Bag Factory in Dryden and joined the war effort at a munitions factory in Thunder Bay. In 1947, Millie married Edward (Ted) Lappage and together they set out to create a home and start a family along with her sister Ruby, after the loss of their mother. She was so excited to move into one of the new “vet” houses on St. Charles St., making it her home for almost 70 years.
Millie enjoyed being outside, be it fishing, camping, picking berries, exploring, or gardening. She was an excellent baker and cook. Her little house was full of family on any given occasion, with Millie happily working away in her tiny kitchen. Much of her life was about the food. She could recount, in detail, any meal she had the pleasure (or displeasure) of experiencing on her world travels.
She was most thrilled with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, as well as their accomplishments, as evidenced in her scrapbooks and clippings.
Millie was an avid historian and loved to travel. She played cribbage, bowled, was an expert knitter, and felt it important to keep in touch with friends and family. She would read just about anything, as long as it was not a romance novel. Millie’s memory could rival that of an elephant. She walked everywhere well into her eighties. Mention must be made of her love of all animals, wild or otherwise. She always enjoyed her pets.
Millie was a true pragmatist, using rain barrels and composting before it was mainstream. As a true child of the depression, she did not waste anything…including her words. Millie always laughed loudest at herself.
Millie is survived by Linda (Frank) Soltysiak of North Vancouver; Martin (Sandra) Lappage, Gaile (Don) Goldrup, Edward (Susan) Lappage, and Janet (Michael) Louttit, all of Dryden; as well as thirteen grandchildren, twenty-seven great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.
Predeceased by her parents, husband, brothers, sisters, in-laws, and many friends, Millie truly was the last of a generation.
A Private Family Service has been held with interment in the Dryden Cemetery.
If friends desire donations may be made to Dryden Horticultural Society or Princess Court Long Term Care DECO or Canadian Wildlife Federation through the Stevens Funeral Homes P.O. Box 412, Dryden ON P8N 2Z1. Condolences may be posted at www.stevensfuneralhomes.ca
We would be remiss not to thank the dedicated staff at Princess Court; your care and compassion have not gone unnoticed or unappreciated. Thank you also to Nathalie Legros with the CMHA Older Adults Program, and the many care providers who allowed Millie to stay in her home for as long as possible.
