MILDRED A. STEFFEN

      Mildred Ann Steffen, 85, died Jan. 3, 2016. She was born Feb. 25, 1930, to the late Arthur and Bessie Wolff.

She married Hank Steffen on May 22, 1949.

In addition to “riding herd on her 3 rebels without a cause,” Millie, as she became to be known, also enjoyed a multifaceted professional career. She worked at a number of different positions, ranging from checker at the local National Tea grocery store, office manager at a local heavy construction firm, school bus driver where after logging in excess of 100,000 miles in the old split axle, double clutch buses she became known as the “Queen of the Yellow Fleet.”

Ultimately she returned to the health care field, a place she had wanted to be since graduating from high school. Starting with the old Burlington Clinic by the river and finally retiring from Aurora Health Care, Millie held a wide range of positions working in the financial aspect of the business.

She always enjoyed her time singing in the choir and with the original Burlington Sweet Adeline’s, her award-winning roses and her dogs. She became very passionate about shelter dogs welfare and was an avid supporter of the Lakeland Animal Shelter, donating what and when she could to them.

The joy of her life became the first great-grandson, Mason. Mason and great grams, as he called her, spent countless hours at the dining room table playing games of Mason’s invention even though he was the only one who knew the rules or understood the games. In the end, none of that mattered because everyone had a good time playing along.

Early in the morning of Jan. 3, an amazing soul joined the angel’s choir in the streets of heaven, and along the way she crossed the Rainbow Bridge to be reunited with all of her beloved dogs that went before her.

Survivors include her husband; sons, Don (Nancy), Bruce, Jack; grandsons, Jason, Nate (Heather), Derek (Coco); great-grandson, Mason; her brother, Bob Wolff (Bonnie); dogs, Patience and Logan B. Barney.

She was further preceded in death by her sister, Ruth Uglow.

Following cremation, internment will be at the Southern Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Union Grove. Final details and arrangements are pending with Schramka Funeral Home in Hales Corners.