1935-2025
Clarice Douglas Mills passed from this life on Saturday, September 6, 2025 at the age of 90 in Lubbock, Texas. She was born on January 29, 1935 to Reverend AC and Stella (nee Boyd) Douglas in Artesia, New Mexico. Being the daughter of an itinerant Methodist pastor, she was raised all over Southeastern, New Mexico, and West Texas.
After graduating from high school in Las Cruces, New Mexico, she attended McMurry College in Abilene, Texas. She joined the chanters, the McMurry choir, and became the Sopranos soloist. There she met the tenor soloist, a young man named Kenneth Mills. They were married on July 28, 1956.
Putting school on hold to raise her children, she returned to finish a teaching degree when all the children were in grade school. After spending a few years teaching second and third grades, she became an elementary music teacher and taught music for the rest of her career.
At the same time, she played the organ in piano and nearly every church she attended. For many of those years, she was the accompanist with Kenneth being the choir director at the first United Methodist Church in Monahans, Texas. They were quite a team.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Kenneth and daughter-in-law, Karen Mills. She is survived by her children, Kenneth and Sandra Mills, Jeff Mills and Cheryl and Mark Loveland. She is survived by grandchildren Mary and Joseph Martinez, Tim and Marla Loveland, Liz and Aaron Young, Ryan Loveland, Kathleen Mills, Archie Mills, Charlie and Carri, Ward, and Christie and Kendall Burks. She is also survived by ten great grandchildren, and three great great grandchildren.
The family will receive friends from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 13, 2025 at Winters Funeral Home. Funeral services will be held at 1:00 p.m. Saturday, September 13, 2025 at the First Methodist Church of Winters with burial following at Lakeview Cemetery.
After graduating from high school in Las Cruces, New Mexico, she attended McMurry College in Abilene, Texas. She joined the chanters, the McMurry choir, and became the Sopranos soloist. There she met the tenor soloist, a young man named Kenneth Mills. They were married on July 28, 1956.
Putting school on hold to raise her children, she returned to finish a teaching degree when all the children were in grade school. After spending a few years teaching second and third grades, she became an elementary music teacher and taught music for the rest of her career.
At the same time, she played the organ in piano and nearly every church she attended. For many of those years, she was the accompanist with Kenneth being the choir director at the first United Methodist Church in Monahans, Texas. They were quite a team.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Kenneth and daughter-in-law, Karen Mills. She is survived by her children, Kenneth and Sandra Mills, Jeff Mills and Cheryl and Mark Loveland. She is survived by grandchildren Mary and Joseph Martinez, Tim and Marla Loveland, Liz and Aaron Young, Ryan Loveland, Kathleen Mills, Archie Mills, Charlie and Carri, Ward, and Christie and Kendall Burks. She is also survived by ten great grandchildren, and three great great grandchildren.
The family will receive friends from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 13, 2025 at Winters Funeral Home. Funeral services will be held at 1:00 p.m. Saturday, September 13, 2025 at the First Methodist Church of Winters with burial following at Lakeview Cemetery.
