Mildred Marie Medlin

Mildred Marie Buoy was born on February 27, 1930, to the parents of Jessie Florence Heckman Buoy and Lloyd Buoy in Kersey (LaSalle), Colorado. She was the fifth child of six. Her family moved to Washington state after having their last child in Illinois, and Millie has been on the West Coast ever since. Millie Medlin (Ducky) passed away on Monday, May 24, 2021, in Carlton, Oregon at the age of 91. Millie married Dean Albright in Washington then moved to Southern California and had two boys, Carl Eric and Guy Lamont. They then moved back to Washington for Guy's health and in Seattle, had three girls, Shawndell Karen, Sandra Gaye, and Deana Marie. They moved back to Oxnard, California for a time before they divorced. They both remarried. Dean stayed in the Huntington Beach area, married Stella, and raised Carl, Guy, Sandy, and Deana. Millie found love with James Medlin in Oxnard, and they moved to Klamath Falls, Oregon with Shawndell and a puppy named Fang. Jim and Millie were blessed with a girl, Michele Marie Medlin. Millie leaves behind 6 children, 13 grandchildren, and just about the same number of great-grandchildren. She was constantly taking her grandchildren on adventurous trips away from their parents. As a nurse graduating in 1951, she worked all across the states in hospitals, nursing homes and eventually settled in Klamath Falls with Jim. She worked at the health department and later started traveling for her work. She stayed on top of her career meticulously by taking nursing classes. Her colleagues stayed close in touch with each other even after the school closed. Millie's heart was in the Pacific Northwest, but her nursing career and adventurous spirit moved her throughout the country. Her passion was nursing, meeting people, and traveling at the drop of a hat. Hero, her sheltie dog would travel and work with her at Summer camps from Oregon to Ohio well into her eighties. No matter where she went, her dog was sure to follow. She enjoyed working in Native American reservations in Oregon, Montana, New Mexico, and even as far as Alaska. As a camp nurse, she was known as Ducky, chosen because of her attendance at the University of Oregon in Eugene. This nickname easily identified her from then on. Millie expressed her love for the outdoors by camping with her family throughout Oregon. She was an avid bowler and an involved mother, joining in her daughters' activities like 4-H and theatre. Later, she would take trips out of state to visit her adult children and their growing families. She would also "pop in" to visit other relatives and her nursing companions. Her sudden visits were a surprising blessing that kept her friends and family on our toes! Before she passed away, she was able to travel to two of her favorite places: Klamath Falls where she raised her family, and Seattle where her family got started and some still reside in the surrounding area. She worked at the Seattle World's Fair of 1962 as a nurse and even helped some people down from the space needle when they became frightened of the 604' height. During her last visit to the Space Needle, she conducted her own tour by telling visitors how it was back in 1962. She was a storyteller and would happily share her stories with you if you had an ear to hear. Millie's favorite TV shows were Westerns like Death Valley Days, Wagon Train, Walker, Texas Ranger, and Blue Bloods. She liked Blue Bloods for the scenes of the family saying grace around the dinner table. This was like our mealtime gatherings in Klamath Falls. Her faith in God was unshakable. Her church was very important to her and she loved singing hymns. She lived her life by giving from her heart and sharing the love of the Lord. She is now home and singing hymns of praise to our Father! Stay in our hearts until we see you again at home.

Mildred Marie Medlin

February 27, 1930 - May 24, 2021