Mildred Derose ( Millie )

Mildred DeRose (Pevestorf) was born January 18, 1925 in Coon Rapids, Iowa, to Elmer Pevestorf and Marie Deeth Pevestorf.  She passed away December 2, 2020 after a brief illness.  Millie grew up on her family’s farm northeast of town.  She attended country school through the 8th grade, and graduated from Coon Rapids High School in 1942.

Following graduation, she took classes at Drake University and earned a teaching certificate.  She spent time teaching in Manilla, Iowa, and also taught in the Coon Rapids country school, a one-room school house, singly teaching grades first through eighth.  Her younger sister, Bernice, was a student of hers for three years.  Millie would have to stoke the wood-burning stove in the school many a cold morning.  She also put on programs and plays for all age groups, and made sure all of her students were challenged and enjoyed learning.  As farming required some of the older boys to be out of school at certain times, Millie made sure they were aptly prepared on their return.  She encouraged one of the older boys not only to remain in school and finish his studies, but with hard work, her tutoring and sheer force of determination he graduated not only high school, but college.

While Millie was proud of her hard work in teaching, shortly after the Second World War in 1947 Millie moved to Denver, Colorado to join her best friend Jean Duncan Williamson.  She left with the promise that should she not find a job in Denver in about a week, she would return to Coon Rapids.  But Millie found a job in short order with the Central Insurance Agency and remained in Denver for her lifetime.  Jean and Millie lived with several other girls in a boarding house close to Detroit Street and Colfax.  Within a few years, Jean married, and Millie had met an eligible insurance salesman, Dominic DeRose.

Millie and Dom were married in 1952.  They made their home in North Denver in a two-bedroom townhome.  Together they had seven children, beginning with Linda in 1952.  In succession with the sixth being born, Dom Jr., in 1963 they moved from the townhome where the children all shared a bedroom, to a large home in East Denver.

Millie applied her farming experience to fun with her children:  raising dogs and cats, mice, guinea pigs, rabbits, gerbils, fish, and turtles to name a few; and growing all sorts of vegetables in the back-yard garden space. As well, her teaching skills led to emphasis on homework and shared reading time with her on the couch.

When their seventh child, Ed, started school, Millie began volunteering with the Denver Public Schools.  She worked at Steck Elementary in the office and started a ‘Centers’ room in the auditorium where groups of various simultaneous student activities were under her charge.  Recognizing Millie’s talents, school administrators encouraged her to become an employee of the school District, and Millie worked in administration and as a school secretary until her retirement.  In retirement, she continued as an administrative substitute with the school District.  She was called on many times to ‘straighten out office records’ at various schools.

Millie also used her retirement time to travel throughout Europe with Dominic, and took trips to Las Vegas, Mexico, and other various places with her children and grandchildren.

When Dominic died, Millie went back to work at various positions and substituting where needed.  In 2000, she was asked to work for The Denver Teachers’ Club, a small non-profit providing DPS employees with free use of medical equipment and supplemental pay benefits.  She enjoyed her crew at the Club so much, and helping DPS retirees and teachers, that she worked there until mid 2013.  When asked what she would most like to be remembered for, she said “that I helped a lot of people.”  That she did, and upon her brief illness and eventual death, she was still planning Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas house decorating, and welcoming her family and friends into her home.

Donations to The Denver Teachers’ Club or Good Shepherd Capital Campaign Fund.

Due to the current Covid restriction guidelines, we must maintain a 50 person or less at the Visitation and the Rosary.

This will also apply to the Funeral Mass and Graveside Service.

Good Shepherd Catholic Church has provided the link below for you to join the family for the Funeral Mass live.

Just click on the link below from 10:15am tomorrow, Wednesday 9th, December

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHlrdT-XiDV8xNgbJ4_GU1g

Thank you for understanding at these difficult times.

https://www.tributeslides.com/tributes/show/4QTF2QQCDPGMGS7P