Laura Patricia "Patty" (Leppert) Mills

Laura Patricia “Patty” (Leppert) Mills was born January 5, 1949, in the car on the way to the hospital, to Jacob Wesley and Iris Cynthia (Jones) Leppert.  She went home to be with Jesus on February 27, 2021. She was the third of nine children and grew up on the farm, first on the outskirts of Boise and then in Greenleaf, Idaho.

She attended McKinley Grade School and South Jr. High School in Boise before moving to Greenleaf.  She attended Greenleaf Grade School and Huston Grade School, then went to Vallivue High when it opened in 1962. After graduation from Vallivue High School in 1967, she went on to graduate from Northwest Nazarene (College) University with a degree in elementary education.  She taught in Caldwell, Greenleaf, Wilder and Vallivue over a period of 35 years.  She retired in June, 2011. She enjoyed her children and grandchildren; she sewed and crocheted.   She collected interesting recipes with her grandson.  Sewing for and making dolls was a favorite pass time.  She was surrounded by nearly 100 dolls.  Many more were given as gifts.

Patty gave her heart to Jesus as a child and has striven to follow his teachings all of her life.  She was proud to have been raised in the Friends Church, where she was involved with many committees, and camps.  She led music and sang many solos for church services throughout the years.  She played saxophone in the church band and taught Sunday School classes.  She was a member of the Caldwell Free Methodist Church in her later years. Patty married the love of her life, Larry Mills, on June 15, 1974.  They raised three daughters in the Ontario, Payette, and Greenleaf areas where Larry farmed.

Patty is survived by her husband of 46 years, Larry Mills; daughters, Laura Milton, Diane (Daniel) Esquivel and Janet Mills, all of Caldwell, Idaho; grandchildren, Rebecca Mills, Andrew Milton, Kyle Milton, and Amanda Milton, of Caldwell; brothers, George (Yvonne) Leppert, Filer, Idaho, Glenn (Sue) Leppert, Haviland, Kansas,  Harold  Leppert, Crawfordsville, Oregon, Tom (Sherry) Leppert, Mountain Home, Idaho; Sister,  Claudia (Victor) Gendron, Spokane, Washington; Sister-In-Laws,  Patty (Bill) Sherman and  Beverly Mills, both of Greenleaf, Idaho and a number of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, Jacob and Iris Leppert; brother, Donald Leppert and sisters, Elaine Leppert and Eileen Leppert.

           A Memorial Service will be held later. Interment will take place at Greenleaf Cemetery in Greenleaf, Idaho on Saturday, March 13, 2021 at 3 PM.

The family suggest that memorial contributions be made in Patty’s name to Caldwell Public Library or Caldwell Free Methodist Church on Montana Avenue.

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