Mildred Allen Cruthirds

Published 12:01 pm Friday, October 4, 2019

Mildred Allen Cruthirds passed away in Slidell, Louisiana, on Wednesday, October 2, at the age of 89. A native of the Mississippi Gulf Coast, she lived much of her adult life in LaPlace, Louisiana. Mildred is survived by her husband of 73 years, Stanley Cruthirds, and four sisters, Margaret, Elaine, Daisy Lee, and Sheila. She was the beloved mother of four surviving children: Richard, Joseph, Jan Stein, and Linda “Cookie” Zimmerman. Her eldest son, Michael, passed away in 2010. Mildred was the warm and loving matriarch of a large extended family that included nine grandchildren, eight great grandchildren, seven great-great grandchildren, and all of the spouses who entered the clan through marriage. At Christmas and other holidays she and her husband hosted family gatherings that featured good food and lots of fun. On weekends they hosted friends and family at their camp in Gulfport, Mississippi, for barbecues, swimming, and crabbing.

Mildred was not a flamboyant or outspoken person, but she had a great sense of adventure and always welcomed new experiences. She trained as a hairdresser at the Manual Cooper School of Cosmetology and for years owned her own beauty shops in Lutcher and later in LaPlace. She couldn’t swim, but her husband Stanley was an avid sailor, so she gamely climbed on board and made long sailing trips with him to Florida and the Bahamas. She learned to snow ski when she was 50. Then she took art classes at Delgado College and began to turn out canvases. She entered local art shows and sold a number of paintings. She and her husband traveled around the U.S. in their RV, but when Stanley resisted traveling abroad, she made several trips with a gang of girlfriends to Europe, South America, and even once to Africa. Never idle, when health issues began to keep her closer to home, she started making quilts and giving them to lucky friends and family members. Mildred had a quiet strength that allowed her to face the hard times in life and made her a source of comfort to family members. She will be sorely missed by all her family and friends.

A memorial service for Mildred will be held on Thursday, October 10, at Aldersgate United Methodist Church, 360 Robert Blvd, Slidell, LA 70458. Visitation will be held at 10 a.m. with the service to follow at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Coalville United Methodist Church, 12298 Shorecrest Rd, Biloxi, MS 39532, or to Aldersgate United Methodist Church of Slidell at the address above.