Mildred Parrill

Mildred Eleanor Parrill,

daughter of Norwegian

immigrant parents John

Herman Nelson and Marie

Sigrid (Berg) Nelson, was

born December 6, 1925,

on the family homestead

in Homen Township in

Bottineau County. When

“Millie” was a baby, the

family moved to Rolette

County about six miles

North of Dunseith. She at-

tended Beaver Dam coun-

try school and graduated

from 8th grade at age 12

1/2 as salutatorian of

Rolette County. She

stayed home one year be-

cause of lack of funds for

textbooks and room and

board in town. In 1943

she graduated from Dun-

seith High School as

valedictorian of her class.

Mildred enrolled at

Minot State Teacher’s Col-

lege where she graduated

four times. She earned the

48HR and the 60HR rural

certificates in 1944, 2-year

standard in 1950 and a BS

in elementary education

in 1979.

At age 18 her teaching

career which spanned 36

years, began in 1944 at

Grassland Country school

near Sawyer with 25 stu-

dents in all eight grades.

Her next jobs were

Medrud School and The

Butte School in the Turtle

Mountains of Bottineau

County. Later she was a

long-term substitute at

Beaver Dam and Weth-

eralt in Rolette County.

On June 18, 1948, she

married Cecil Dean Par-

rill. Millie taught grades

1-4 in Russell, ND for two

terms from 1950-1952.

Mrs.Parrill began teaching

first grade at Dunseith

Public in the fall of 1955,

took three years off, and

returned to a

second-grade classroom

for 26 years from 1960 un-

til her retirement in 1986.

Mildred was a past

member of Rendahl Luth-

eran Church and a current

member of Peace Luth-

eran Church of Dunseith.

She was active in the

WELCA ladies’ group and

was a regular reader at

worship. Mildred

belonged to Happy Home

Homemakers, Peace Gar-

den Senior Citizens, DEA,

NDEA, NEA, and Turtle

Mountain Retired Teach-

ers. Mildred was an ac-

complished whist player,

loved to read biographies

and other nonfiction, do

Sudoku and cryptoquote

puzzles, write letters, and

make braided rugs. She

was an avid sports fan.

Her favorite teams were

the Chicago Bulls, Min-

nesota Vikings, LA Lakers,

Golden State Warriors,

the Dunseith Dragons and

later the Minnesota

Twins. She followed the

trades on the pro teams

and was always comment-

ing about a former player

showing up to play for the

opposing team. Her favor-

ite thing was spending

time with her children,

grandchildren, and great

grandchildren and her si-

blings. Millie was a life-

long learner, teacher, farm

wife, mother, and story-

teller. Her memory of

dates and events was

amazing.

Dean passed away Oc-

tober 3, 1998. Mildred

moved from the farm near

Dunseith to Oak Manor in

Bottineau in 2008 and

resided there until she

broke her hip and entered

St. Andrew’s in Bottineau

for long term care in

March 2018.

Mildred is survived by

daughter LeaRae (Terry)

Espe, Bottineau and her

son Joel of Grand Forks,

her daughter-in law Nora

Parrill of Roseau, MN; her

grandchildren: Brady

Espe, Bismarck; Marty

(Heather DeCoteau) Espe,

Bottineau; Joshua (Emily)

Parrill, Grand Forks; Jude

Parrill, New Hope, MN;

and Eva Parrill of San

Diego, CA. and

great-grandchildren Elsa

and Cora Parrill and

bonus great-grandchildren

Rebecca and Rylan

DeCoteau. She is also

survived by brother-in

law Ben Cox, Cavalier and

sisters-in-law Judy Cox,

Cavalier, Roberta Cox,

Grand Forks and many

nieces and nephews.

She is preceded in

death by her parents and

husband; her son Clark

Cecil Parrill (10-30-2006);

all of her siblings and

their spouses: Nieces:

Carol Walker, Gladys

Blomquist; Nephews: Bill

Blomquist and Robert

Anderson.

Mildred Parrill, 96,

passed away at St. An-

drew’s Health Care with

her children by her side.

Visitation will be from

3PM-8PM on Friday, Sep-

tember 30 at Nero Funeral

Home, Bottineau. Funeral

service will be at Peace

Lutheran, Dunseith at

11AM on Saturday, Oc-

tober 1. Burial will follow

in Rendahl Cemetery at

1:30 PM.

Memorials are preferred

to Rendahl Cemetery or

Peace Lutheran Church.

Arrangements were

with Nero Funeral Home

in Bottineau.