Mildred M. (Nitschke) Milbrath

Mildred Marie Milbrath, 93, of Red Wing, died on Friday, July 8, 2022, at Valentines Assisted Living in Red Wing. Mildred M. (Balster) Milbrath was born October 7, 1928, to Peter and Hildegarde (Nitschke) Balster at the Madison, South Dakota Hospital. She was baptized and confirmed at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Howard, South Dakota, by her uncle Walter Nitschke. She attended Howard Public School. During her Jr. and Sr. years at Howard High School she was editor of the school paper, “The Tiger Roars.” Also, during her Sr. year, she was chosen Queen of “Winter Festival.” She graduated from Howard High School in 1946.

Mildred worked for a year at the Miner County Bank in Howard, South Dakota. She then attended Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato, Minnesota. She graduated with an Associated Arts Degree in 1949. She then accepted a call to teach 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grades at Immanuel Lutheran School, Lakefield, Minnesota in 1949.

While teaching at Lakefield she met Leslie Milbrath and they were married in 1951. In 1951, Leslie was drafted for the Korean War and was gone for two years. After her husband’s return they lived in Lakefield and she worked for the Central Telephone Co. In 1977, they purchased the Sears Store at Lakefield, Minnesota, and in 1982 they purchased the Sears Store at Red Wing, Minnesota. They remained there after their retirement. After her retirement she taught in the ESL Program (English Second Language). Mildred was an avid reader, and enjoyed watching most all sporting events.

Mildred’s two sons were born in Lakefield, Minnesota, Michael and Thomas. Mildred is survived by her youngest son, Thomas of Red Wing; daughter-in-law (Michael), Cheryl Milbrath of Waseca. Mildred has three granddaughters. The oldest is Kate (Jason) Kupcho, the Kupcho’s have two children, Kayden and Jack. The Kupcho’s live in Blaine, Minnesota. The middle granddaughter is Abby Milbrath and she has two daughters, Zoey and Veyda; Abby lives in Waseca, Minnesota. Mildred’s youngest granddaughter is Shelby (Ryan) Treleven and they have a son, Vito. The Treleven’s live in West Bend, Wisconsin. Mildred has one niece, Janelda (Steve) Olson from Bemidji, Minnesota and one nephew Richard (Cheryl) Grein of Lakefield, Minnesota.

Preceding Mildred in death were her husband, Leslie; her oldest son, Michael; her sisters and brothers-in-law, Myrt (Harry) Johnson and Frieda (George) Grein; her parents, Peter and Hildegarde Balster of Howard, South Dakota, and her parents-in-law, Reinhold and Anna Milbrath, of Lakefield Minnesota.

Memorial service will be at 2 p.m. on Thursday, July 14, 2022, at Concordia Lutheran Church with Reverend Tyge Zucker officiating. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church. Burial will be at a later date at the Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery in Lakefield. Memorials are preferred to Concordia Lutheran Church. Funeral arrangements are by the Mahn Family Funeral Home, Bodelson-Mahn Chapel.