Mettie Maxine Milligan's Obituary
Mettie Maxine Milligan passed away in her sleep on June 14, 2015. She was born January 17, 1921, in White Deer, Texas, just across the tracks from the Santa Fe depot where her father, W.B. Carey, was the telegraph operator and station agent. He was also a farmer. One of four children, she had very fond memories of growing up in that small town on the Panhandle plains. She always wanted to be a teacher, and she graduated from West Texas State Normal College, now West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas. She taught elementary school in Dumas during World War II. She also worked for six-months in Washington, D.C., during the war. She married her high school sweetheart, Joseph Bryce Milligan, on June 6, 1945, after he returned from five years in the U.S. Marine Corps. They lived and she taught in Amarillo and Lamesa briefly. She taught fourth graders in Irving and then Dallas, most of that time at F. P. Caillet Elementary School, until she retired in 1978. She was an absolutely beloved teacher. Maxine was always active in her church, Northway Baptist. When they moved to Mixon Street in Dallas, the young couple pitched in to help in the construction of the first church building. She loved being a member and officer in the WMU — the Women’s Missionary Union — and being a leader in the GAs — the Girls’ Auxilary. More than anything else in life, she was a good friend, always doing other people’s hair, always volunteering, always visiting and making food for shut-ins, the sick, and the elderly. This continued until she stopped driving at 89. Ever elegant, she loved to laugh, although she never admitted to having a sense of humor. A group of younger friends were devoted to her until the very end. She is survived by one son, Joseph Bryce Milligan, her daughter-in-law, Mary Guerrero Milligan, both of San Antonio; two grandchildren, Michael Bryce Milligan of Minneapolis, and Brigid Aileen Tsai of Baltimore; and several nieces and nephews. Funeral services will be at Restland Funeral Home, Wildwood Chapel, on Monday, June 22, at 12:30 p.m. Viewing one hour prior. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Restland Funeral Home and Memorial Park, 13005 Greenville Avenue, Dallas, TX 75243.
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