Berva Dawn (Arnold) Doolittle Mills (1926-2019)

MILLS, DOOLITTLE, ARNOLD, CLARK, BRAVARD, CARLSON, WILLIAMS, DIAMOND

Posted By: Mark Christian
Date: 5/17/2021 at 16:53:12

Obituary from Schroeder Reimers Memorial Chapel, Boone, Iowa.

Berva Dawn (Arnold) Doolittle Mills passed away March 2, 2019, at her home at the age of 93.

A Funeral Service will be held on Friday, March 8, 2019 at 11:00 am at the Open Bible Church in Boone. There will be a one hour visitation at the church before the service. Burial will be at the McCallsburg Cemetery, also known as Warren Township Cemetery in McCallsburg, Iowa after the service.

Berva was born Feb. 24, 1926, in Arispe, Iowa where her family farmed, to LeRoy and Mary (Clark) Arnold. She attended grade school in Ellston and graduated from Grand River High School in Grand River. She then attended Northwest Missouri State Teachers College in Maryville, Missouri, receiving her two-year teaching certificate. Over the following years, she continued her education and received her B.A. degree in Education from Drake University in 1969.

On May 26, 1946, she married Duane Doolittle at the Pleasant Grove Church near Story City. They raised three daughters, Deborah, Penny, and Denise on the family farm until Duane’s death in April, 1970.

Through friends, she met Willis Mills of McCallsburg and they married in August, 1972. Willis passed away in September, 1979.

Berva’s teaching career spanned 38 years starting in Guthrie Center and then in Shipley. In 1955, Berva began teaching at Zearing Community School in Zearing and continued with this school district through several consolidations with McCallsburg (NESCO) and Colo (Colo-NESCO). Berva loved teaching from her first day in the classroom to her last. Upon retirement, she moved to Boone to be closer to family.

Berva was always active in her churches, teaching Sunday School, playing the piano, leading Vacation Bible School, organizing and running Boone Open Bible’s new library, enjoying her church sewing group, and many other activities. She was an avid reader, sports fan, and talented seamstress.

Berva was also preceded in death by her brother, Mickey Arnold; and her grandson, Joseph Bravard. She is survived by her sister, Cenith Carlson of Minneapolis, Minnesota; her three daughters and sons-in-law, Deborah and John Williams of Waldorf, Maryland; Penny and Duane Diamond of Blairsville, Georgia; and Denise and Ken Bravard of Boone. She was the proud grandmother of 7 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.

Berva will be remembered by her family for being hard-working, brave, independent and loving.

In memory of Berva, memorials may be directed to the family.