Louise Mcmillan

Louise Elizabeth McMillan, 87, Grand Junction, went to join her husband, Bernard “Bud” McMillan in heaven on September 6, 2016.  Her final wish was to pass away in her sleep at home and her wish was granted.

Louise “Lou” to her family and friends was a native Coloradoan.  She was born to George Milton Speck and Edith Muriel (Crowley) Speck on December 15, 1928, in Denver, Colorado.   Her family was a large and happy one of four sisters and two brothers.   The home she was born and raised in is still occupied in Denver today.  Lou attended Denver Public Schools, graduating from East High School and then graduating from business school, with what would be an Associate Degree in Accounting today, two years later.  While Lou was in high school, World War II was going on and she worked at Lowry Air Force Base.  It was during this time that she met the love of her life, Bud, at a dance and after corresponding for two years while he was in the Navy, they were married on June 12, 1949.  Lou would always said that East met West as Bud graduated from West High School and their teams were bitter rivals.

After four years of marriage, their daughter Cyndee was born and three years after that along came Don.  Bud worked at Mountain Bell and traveled here and there and Lou stayed home and kept the home fires burning.  In between were vacations of camping and fishing in our beautiful state and visiting other states to go see relatives.  Once the kids were in high school, Lou went back to work as a secretary/accountant for King Soopers.  In 1982, Bud and Lou retired and moved to Cedaredge where they built their own home on ten gorgeous acres of apple trees.  They lived there until 1997 when they moved to their present home in Grand Junction to be near the hospitals, doctors and palliative/hospice care Lou needed for her health.

Louise is preceded in death by her husband of 66 years, Bernard; her parents; all her brothers and sisters and her great-grandson Ramzey.  She is survived by her son, Donald ( Gigi); her daughter Cynthia Empkey (Robert); grandchildren Heather Empkey (Matt Thorp), Holly Empkey (Rhiannon Davis), T.J. McMillan (Mark Bannon), Donelle McMillan and Jessica Rodriguez; her great-grandchildren Zackery, Gaberyel, Amber, Jordyn, Madilynn, Mason and Brecken.

She was a beloved wife, wonderful and much loved mother,  grand/great-grandmother and friend.  She will be greatly missed by all her knew her.

Services will be at 10 a.m. Thursday, September 15th at All Saints Lutheran Church, 20101 Deer Road, Austin, CO 81410, followed by a luncheon and then Inurnment at the Veteran’s Memorial Cemetery of Western Colorado, 2830 Riverside Parkway, Grand Junction at 3 p.m.  In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in Lou’s name to All Saints Lutheran Church at the address above or HopeWest Hospice (whose staff and nurses took great care of her) 9030 North 12th Street, Unit B, Grand Junction, CO  81506.