Betty Jean Mills

Betty Jean (McHugh)  Mills, age 97 passed peacefully at Clark Assisted Living with family and hospice at her side, joining her husband of 46 years, Maurice, on Tuesday, July 7, 2026.

Betty, daughter of Michael and Velma (Gilmer) McHugh, is survived by her children: Kevin Mills and Jeanne (John) Gallagher; grandchildren, Natalie, Ian, and Hannah Gallagher; sister Ruth Conklin; sister Shirley Inbody; sister Sharon (Dwight) Dargitz; many nieces and nephews especially her devoted caregiver Karen (Don) Roy.

Betty was one of seven siblings. She graduated college and taught kindergarten and first grade in Blanchard before moving to Grand Rapids and eventually marrying and starting a family. She loved baking bread and was locally famous for “Betty bread”, baking 100 loaves every year for the church Christmas bazaar fund raiser. She was very active in the altar guild at Holy Trinity and a long time volunteer at the Chatterbox at Clark Retirement Community. She loved nothing more than cooking and canning from her garden in Caledonia, and generally being surrounded by neighbors, friends and family. Later in life she was an avid reader and collector of Santas. 

Funeral services for Betty will be held Sunday at 1 pm, July 26th at  St. Andrews Episcopal, with  Rev. Alex Quick officiating.  Internment will be held at Holy Trinity Episcopal.  Relatives and friends may meet the family Saturday from 5-8 pm at  Matthysse Kuiper DeGraaf Funeral Home, 4031 Clyde Park Ave SW, Wyoming. Those who wish may make memorial contributions to St. Jude’s Children's Research Hospital.