Sarah Ardyth Mills

Sarah Ardyth (Rice) Mills, 94, of Wakefield, NE, passed away surrounded by her family on July 29, 2025, at Providence Medical Center in Wayne, NE. The visitation will be held on Friday, August 1, 2025, from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m., with a prayer service at 7:00 p.m. at Munderloh-Smith Funeral Home in Wakefield. The funeral service will be on Saturday, August 2, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. at the Evangelical Covenant Church in Wakefield, Pastor Jill Craig will be officiating. The burial will be in the Wakefield Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to the Evangelical Covenant Church in Wakefield. Arrangements are under the direction of Munderloh-Smith Funeral Home in Wakefield.

Ardyth was born on March 3, 1931 in Ansley, Nebraska to Edward Rice and S. Helen (Nusbaum) Vrana. She graduated from Ansley High School in 1948 and went on to earn her teacher’s certificate, beginning a life of love, nurturing, and purpose.

On May 29, 1949, she married Harry Mills in Broken Bow, Nebraska. Together, they built a beautiful life and raised four children: Marlene, Carol, Scott, and Robin.

Ardyth taught for one year at a country school before choosing to stay home to raise her children. Her kitchen became the heart of her home, filled with the smells of homemade meals and baked goods. She created an atmosphere of warmth, comfort, and deep love. As her children grew, she returned to work to help support their college educations—always putting her family’s future first.

She retired in the early 1980s from the Educational Service Unit in Wakefield to care for two special boys, Tim and Jon McQuistan. Alongside Harry, Ardyth enjoyed creating wooden crafts and sharing their work at craft fairs. She also started many beloved family traditions, including baking and decorating holiday cookies and taking her grandchildren on camping trips.

Ardyth had a lively spirit with a playful, competitive spark—especially when it came to board games. Her chuckle, when holding a winning card, was just one part of her unique charm. An always devoted sports fan, she cheered enthusiastically for Nebraska Cornhusker athletics and the Los Angeles Lakers and never missed a chance to support her grandchildren’s dance performances and sporting events.

Her curious nature and zest for learning allowed her to stay current on events. She enjoyed her family Zoom calls on Sunday evenings for the past five years and could easily navigate her iPad to find out new information. Ardyth mixed old resources, like using her atlas with her magnifying glass, and new resources, like looking up anyone and everyone on Facebook.

Ardyth’s presence in her family and friends' lives, along with her church and community involvement, were not only admirable but inspirational as well. Ardyth’s legacy lives on in the people she nurtured, the values she instilled, and the traditions she created.

She is survived by her daughters: Marlene (Hugh) Mills-Margesson of San Clemente, CA; Carol Mills of Alcobaça, Portugal; and Robin (Dan) Byers of Lincoln, NE; and her son, Scott (Terri) Mills of Borger, TX. Her cherished grandchildren include Brittney Byers, Ross Byers, Taylor Byers, Addison (Jack) Timmes, Haylee (Brock) Sherwood, and Kristen (Henry) Gordon. She is also survived by her great-grandchildren: Blakelee, Westyn, Knox, and Scottye Sherwood; and by her brothers, Harold and Dale Rice.

Ardyth was preceded in death by her parents, Edward and S. Helen; her stepfather, John Vrana; her beloved husband, Harry; her sister, Katherine Nolan; and brothers Edward, Don, and James Rice.

To know Ardyth was to feel loved as she was a selfless caretaker who always put others' needs before herself. Her servant’s heart and sweet generosity impacted the lives of so many. Ardyth’s feisty spirit and joyful sense of humor could easily cheer up anyone on a rainy day. Her home was always filled with love, laughter, and food, and her presence made each moment significantly brighter.