Nov. 28, 2012

Mildred Katherine Foreman Wren, beloved wife, mother, and sister, died peacefully at her Glendale home Wednesday, Nov. 28 with her children by her side. She was 91.

Mildred was born in 1921 in Columbus, ND to Mathias Foreman and

Susanna Bertrang. She graduated from Brooten High School in 1939 and went on to earn a Bachelors of Science and Nursing at the University of North Dakota.

By 1945 she was employed at St. Joseph’s Veterans Hospital in Minot when “Milly” took charge of admitting a soldier named Griffith “Bill” Wren. He was instantly smitten with the lovely Mildred and told her, “You’re the girl I’m going to marry.”

Startled, Milly handed him off to one of her co-workers, but Bill relentlessly pursued her until (as he always told it) “she caught me” and they were married the day after New Year’s in 1946 in Minneapolis.

Doctors told Mildred she had a weak heart and probably wouldn’t live beyond her 20s, yet she went on to have 11 children, all of whom were born in Minneapolis.

In 1964, the family moved to Glendale where Mildred took a job at Glendale Community Hospital (now Adventist) where she worked for over 16 years.

Often after working a full shift she would visit former patients to help them with dressing changes, shop for groceries, or take them to get their hair done, all on her own time. She continued her extensive community service after she retired as a charge nurse on the surgical floor in 1980.

Mildred was a lifelong Catholic; she was an active member at Holy Redeemer of Montrose as well as the Legion of Mary. Her faith was the foundation of her life and held her up through many crises.

Mildred loved babies, Boston terriers, and beautiful outfits. She enjoyed crosswords, the piano, Bridge, and Scrabble, and no grandchild could ever escape her patented lipstick kiss-prints.

Mildred was preceded in death by her parents, her sister Josephine and brothers Vincent and Mattie, her husband Griffith “Bill” Wren, her daughter

Anne Marie and her sons Thomas Peter and Michael Stephen.

Mildred is survived by her sister Juanita Jones, her children Susanne Riechel, Mary Ridlen, Katherine Wren, Kevin Wren, Theresa Luri (husband Ron), Colleen Wren-Fontana, Christopher Wren (wife Bonnie), and Monica Salembier (husband Alex). She leaves behind 11 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

The funeral Mass will be held Monday, Dec. 3 at 10 a.m. at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church, 2411 Montrose Ave. in Montrose.