Millie Rose

Farris

Millie Rose Farris (née Johnson), of Ellington, Mo., died August 8, 2015, in Poplar Bluff, Mo. She was 86 years old.

Millie is survived by her daughters, Bonnie Mertzlufft (Vincent) and Connie Doan; grandchildren, Heather Black (Michael Bowles), Michael Mertzlufft (Ashley), Paul Mertzlufft (Sarah), and Lyndsey Mertzlufft; great-grandchildren, Henry Bowles and Easton Mertzlufft; and sister, Peggy Young. She was preceded in death by her husband, Wessie Farris; parents, Mack and Bessie Johnson; and sisters, Merlene Zabawa, Betty Beasley, Sarah Webb and Janet Cole.

Millie was born on February 1, 1929, in Lillington, N.C., the third child in a family of six sisters and, like all of "the Johnson girls," fancied herself her daddy's favorite. At the age of 22, she met and married Wessie Farris, a young serviceman stationed near her childhood home. The couple soon moved to California where they raised their daughters. In 1971, the family moved to Missouri, where Wessie was born.

Growing up, Millie spent much of her time caring for her aging grandfather in her family's home, and she brought her affection for the elderly into her work as a home health aide in Reynolds County. After retirement, she passed her days reading, visiting with family and friends, and admiring the flowers her family planted for her each year on Mother's Day.

Millie passed away unexpectedly at Westwood Hills Health and Rehabilitation Center in Poplar Bluff, Mo., where she was recovering after a hospital stay. She will be remembered for her dry sense of humor, her love for her family, and her refusal to let chronic pain and illness keep her from looking her best—well coiffed, freshly manicured and wearing just the right pair of earrings.

Visitation will be held at 10 a.m., Tuesday, August 11, at McSpadden Funeral Home in Ellington, with a funeral service following at 11 a.m. Pastor Marvin Richards will officiate. Millie will be laid to rest at the Santhuff Cemetery after the service.