MILLS, Carolyn Marie

Vining Funeral Home, Safford, Arizona Carolyn Marie Mills April 20, 1945 - February 21, 2015 Carolyn Marie Bruce Mills passed into eternal life Saturday afternoon, February 21, 2015, in Tucson. Carolyn was born to Vance and Mary Ellen Drace Bruce on April 20, 1945, in Tucumcari, New Mexico. Her family lived throughout western New Mexico in her early years due to her father’s employment as a construction engineer. The family moved to Peru, South America, where she graduated from the 8th grade in Toquapala, Peru. There were no high schools there so Carolyn came back to the states to attend a boarding school. The family came back and settled in the Safford and Thatcher area where she graduated from Thatcher High School in 1963. While attending Eastern Arizona College she met the love of her life, David Winfield Mills and they were married on September 4, 1966, in Safford. They lived the next twenty plus years on the Mill Ranch in the Bonita Valley. During that time her nephew, Derrol Aadland, came to live with them and he became their boy. After the flood of 1983, which took the old ranch house, the ranch was sold and they relocated to Safford. Shortly thereafter, they divorced and went their separate ways. Carolyn began working for the state in accounting and began her pursuit of her education. First, getting her bachelors in business management, then addiction counseling and finally secondary education. She taught in three different high schools throughout the state, Kayenta, Eloy and finally Clifton. Carolyn was very proud to be known as “head teacher” in the one room school for students who were at risk at having no education known as “The Greenlee County Alternative School.” Shortly after September 11, 2001, the school closed due to lack of funding and Carolyn went back to work in Tucson for Arizona Department of Corrections, from which she retired. Carolyn is survived by: her three sisters, Mary Elaine Bruce Aadland, Beverly Joan Bruce Pritchard and Bonnie Jewell Bruce Allison; two brothers-in-law, Arthur Pritchard and Remo Kit Allison; seven nephews, Christopher R. Aadland, of Maryland, Derrol M. Aadland, of Iowa, Jason Pritchard, of Arizona, Stuart Pritchard, of Arizona, Joshua Woods, of Arizona, Shaffen Woods, of Arizona and Micah Woods, of Arkansas; one niece, Rebecca “Becki” Woods Maclay, of Arizona; and over twenty grand-nieces and grand-nephews. Carolyn was predeceased by: her parents; and her husband. Funeral services for Carolyn will be conducted Saturday afternoon, February 28, 2015, at 3:30 p.m., at Vining Funeral Home’s “Chapel of the Valley” by Lee McMillan, of the Safford Sixth Ward. Concluding services will follow in the Safford Cemetery. The family will receive friends Saturday afternoon from 3:00 p.m. until service time at 3:30 p.m., at the funeral home. To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Carolyn Marie Mills please visit our Sympathy Store.