Mildred "Millie" Poepping

Mildred M. “Millie” Poepping, age 86 of Sauk Centre, passed away peacefully, surrounded by her family on Monday, April 3 at the CentraCare Care Center in Sauk Centre, Minnesota.  

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, April 11 at St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Sauk Centre with Rev. Greg Paffel officiating.  Interment will be in the parish cemetery. 

Visitation will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Monday at the Patton-Schad Funeral Home in Sauk Centre and from 10 to 11 a.m. Tuesday at the Church. Parish prayers will be held at 4 p.m. Monday evening at the funeral home.  

Mildred Martha Walz was born April 20, 1936 in Lake George Township, Stearns County, Minnesota to Leo and Margaret (Bösl) Walz. Millie graduated from Sauk Centre High School. She was united in marriage to Ralph Poepping on June 19, 1956 at St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Sauk Centre. Millie waitressed at the Theatre Café and Fran’s Corner Bar, and later worked at Fingerhut. She also sold Celebrity Jewelry and eventually retired after working for Bruce Rindahl at Lutheran Brotherhood.

She was a member of St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Sauk Centre and the Christian Mothers. Millie enjoyed dancing, bowling, playing cards, and making an occasional trip to the casino. She also enjoyed cooking, baking Christmas cookies and apple pies, and loved making potato dumplings with her sister, Evelyn.

Survivors include her children, Mike Poepping of Sauk Centre, Ron (Diann) Poepping of Hutchinson, Cindy (Rick) Jensen of Westbrook, Jerry (Dawn) Poepping of Sauk Centre, Cheryl (Wayne) Bauer of Sauk Centre, Randy Poepping of St. Cloud, and stepdaughter, Teri (J.R.) Paige; 23 grandchildren, 30 great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild; and brother, Donald (JoAnn) Walz of Sauk Centre.

Millie was preceded in death by her husband, Ralph Poepping on March 9, 2011; parents; granddaughter, Michelle Poepping; sisters, Marie Vornbrock, Carol Prodinsky, and Evelyn Schmidt.