Mildred Anna Margeta “Millie” Bokelman Heins, 97, formerly of Sweet Springs, died Tuesday, January 18, 2022, at Western Missouri Medical Center in Warrensburg.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, January 24, at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Sweet Springs, with Pastor Alan Mueller officiating. Visitation will be held from 10 to 11 a.m. Monday at the church. Burial will be in Fairview Cemetery in Sweet Springs. Memorials are suggested to Immanuel Lutheran Church in care of Campbell-Lewis Funeral Home. Friends may sign the online register book at www.campbell-lewis.com
Born February 19, 1924, in Lafayette County, MO, she was the daughter of the late John H. Bokelman and Emilie Pragman Bokelman. She was baptized and confirmed at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in the Flora community. On August 31, 1944, in Kansas City, KS, Millie married Ralph Heins who preceded her in death on October 29, 1989. She lived in Sweet Springs her entire married life, moving to The Lutheran Nursing Home in Concordia in 2017.
Many years ago Millie worked as a telephone switchboard operator. This ended with the arrival of the dial system. She then held several cooking jobs and along with her husband owned and operated The Sweet Shop in Sweet Springs where her homemade cinnamon rolls became a big hit. She later retired from Rival Manufacturing. Millie’s favorite pastime was quilting. It didn’t matter whether she was cross- stitching, embroidering, piecing or quilting. She loved it all. The hundreds of quilts she made are still enjoyed by her entire family.
Millie is survived by two daughters, Wanda (Doug) Strahle of Concordia and Lois Kuhlman of North Kansas City; eight grandchildren; 22 great-grandchildren; 10 great-great-grandchildren; one sister, Margie Roepe of Concordia; and numerous nieces and nephews.
In addition to her parents and husband, Millie was preceded in death by one daughter, Janice Haesemeyer; three sons-in-law, Robert Kirchhoff, Wayne Kuhlman and Terry Haesemeyer; one grandson, Glenn Kuhlman; five brothers, Alvin, Henry, Elmer, Herbert and Erwin Bokelman; and two sisters, Anna Meyer and Laura Bredehoeft.