Mildred Stapleton

Funeral Services: Will be held on Wednesday, March 4, 2020, at 11:00 a.m. at the United Methodist Church in Massena with burial in the Massena Center Cemetery at 1:00 p.m. A luncheon will be held at the church immediately following services. Pastor Karen Patrick will officiate the service.   

Family Visitation: The family will greet friends on Wednesday, March 4th, one hour prior to the services. 

Memorials: In lieu of flowers memorials may be directed to the Mildred Stapleton memorial fund to be established by the family at a later date. 

Mildred Luella Stapleton was born April 22, 1918 near Massena, IA to Austin Thomas Harris and Barbara Ellanora (Mehlmann) Harris. Mildred passed away February 22, 2020 at the Good Samaritan Society in Fontanelle, IA.

Mildred graduated from Anita High School and Maryville College in Maryville, MO. She married Harry William Stapleton on July 10, 1938 in Maryville. She had been a member of the American Legion Auxiliary and Daughters of the American Revolution. Mildred was an avid reader and always looked forward to playing cards or having coffee with her friends. She also made the best apple pie ever! An adventure was never turned down. Mildred was able to travel to Hawaii, Europe, Korea and Mexico. When her family was young, she and Harry took their four children on annual trips to Canada or Minnesota. Mildred enjoyed working in the school lunch room in Massena for about 20 years, until she retired at around age 80. She always enjoyed vegetable and flower gardening, yard work and feeding the birds. Mildred was an animal lover and there was always a family dog. A furry companion was never far from her side until she had to leave her family home, where she had lived for more than 70 years, at the age of 95.

Mildred is survived by two daughters, Shirley Elaine Eshelman of Massena and M. Jean Dohrmann (Russ) of Urbandale; one son, David Austin Stapleton (Julia) of Fayetteville, AR; five generations of grandchildren; many nieces and nephews; and others. Recently a six-generation picture was taken with Mildred, her daughter Shirley and four generations of granddaughters.

Mildred was preceded in death by her parents, husband Harry, son Harry James Stapleton, brothers Varel and Russell Harris, and sisters Melva Casey and Clare Porter. Also preceding her in death were son-in-law Dale Miller, two daughters-in-law Evelyn Stapleton and Janet Stapleton, two grandsons Jason Stapleton and Mark Miller, and great-grandson Jeremy Thompson.