Mildred Jane Ivory was born August 31, 1929, in Carrolltown, Pennsylvannia, the youngest of six daughters, to Ivo and Margaret Kirkpatrick. She also had a younger brother, Dan. She met James Ivory when her sister, Louise, was dating Jim’s cousin, Peter Illig. She married Jim in Carrolltown on June 28, 1952.
Mildred was called Jane all her life, but when she began working, she switched to Millie. This was confusing for her four children, because when she would get calls for “Millie” they would say there wasn’t anyone by that name at this number. Once she was getting identical magazine subscriptions – one to Jane and one to Millie. She finally settled on Millie when working at Corky and Lenny’s restaurant, where she was a waitress for almost 40 years. She also worked in the cafeteria at St. Barnabas school, and as a volunteer at Marymount Hospital.
Millie loved to play cards (Cinch was one of her favorites), She also liked jigsaw puzzles, the “Daily Jumble” and penny slots, especially in Las Vegas, a favorite destination. She enjoyed playing the lottery and was on Cash Explosion, where she won a car! For someone who never went in water past her knees, her favorite vacations were at the beach and going on a cruise.
She leaves behind her children, Pat (Mike) Bedell of Akron, Ohio, Jim (Deb) Ivory of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Lois (Mike) Brittsan of Ashley, Ohio, and Steve (Mary) Ivory of Bellevue, Ohio. She was proud of her twelve grandchildren. “All are college graduates” she liked to point out, Katie (Andrew) Pirie, Tricia (Ryan) Rothkopf, MaryJo (Mike) Kormushoff, Max Bedell, Margaret Bedell (fiancé Dan Neumann), Joseph Bedell, Megan Ivory (fiancé Dylan Albrecht) , Jami (Matt) Smith, Ben Brittsan, Matt (Sarah) Brittsan, Jim Brittsan and Dan Ivory (fiancée Andrea Lorek). She also had twelve great grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her late husband James Ivory, five older sisters; Ruth McMullen, Marie Bender, Helen Kibler, Louise Illig, Irma Kirkpatrick, her younger brother, Dan Kirkpatrick and great grandson Jack Pirie.