Helen Naomi Frazier Mills' Obituary
Helen Naomi Frazier Mills was born December 6, 1923 in Deer Lodge, Tennessee to Harold and Gertrude Frazier. She was received into her Lord and Savior’s Arms on September 5, 2015. She is survived by three daughters and one son, Janet Mills Merten (Gerard), Holtville, California, Judith Mills Neid (Charles), Nesalem, Oregon, Marcus Jackson Mills (Claire), Apple Valley, California and Jennifer Mills Murray, El Cajon, California. Besides her many grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces and nephews, Helen was blessed with two very special granddaughters who assisted her in her later years, Danna Rakestraw (David), Escondido, California and Crystal Tena (Justin), Goodyear, Arizona and their children. She is also survived by her sisters, Linda Frazier Hrella, Helena, Montana, and Phyllis Frazier Garrett (George), Rancho Santa Margarita, California, and their families. Helen came to California, specifically to Westmorland, Imperial County, with her parents and sisters during the Great Depression. They finally settled in Brawley, and it was there in 1942, that she met the love of her life, Andrew (Jack) Jackson Mills, while he was a Marine stationed near Niland. Before he was deployed to the South Pacific during World War II, they were married in Yuma on October 13, 1942. After the war, they lived in Brawley, Cherry Valley, Mentone, Clairemont, Linda Vista and ultimately built a home in Fletcher Hills, El Cajon, California. It was there that they raised their family. Although they were divorced in 1981, Helen never stopped loving Jack. She moved to La Mesa in 1994 and continued to be a supporter of St. Martin of Tours Parish, where her children had attended grammar school. It is important to remember Helen as not only loving wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother, but also as a concerned parent. She was instrumental in caring for three of her granddaughters, Danna and Crystal Mills and Kristina Murray. Kristina was in her care for four years until she was adopted by Linda and Doug Reeves. Helen was unselfish to a fault. She gave of herself constantly without thinking of receiving anything in return. It was her gift; the gift of herself. Helen moved to Peoria, Arizona in 2007, in order to be close to her two granddaughters living nearby. Helen returned to California in 2012 to reside at Las Villas Del Norte Assisted Living in Escondido, California, because of her increasing dementia. She was also under the extraordinary care of Seasons Hospice. The family would like to thank all of the staff of Las Villas Del Norte Assisted Living and chiefly principally Seasons Hospice for their tireless efforts to singularly support our mother, grandmother and sister in her final years, months and days. A Celebration of Life will be held at 7 pm Saturday, September 12, 2015 Greenwood Memorial Park and Mortuary, Garden Chapel, 4300 Imperial Avenue, San Diego, California 92113. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that donations be made in Helen’s name to http://seasonsfoundation.org/donate-today/
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