Milda Upton Hodge Roberts was the 10th child born to Joseph Hodge and Amy Rankin Hodge in McLeansboro, Illinois. She was a twin to Mindy. She experienced tragedy at a young age losing her mother at age 3 and her father at age 12. She graduated from high school at age 16.

Milda did not share much of her hard living childhood until her Alzheimer's Disease. One of her favorite memories was when she was on a riverboat, and she danced with Frank Sinatra.

Milda met her husband at a bakery were they both worked. Milda and Ray were married on November 21, 1935 in McLeansboro in the ME Parsonage. Ray was 22 and Milda 21. In 1937, they moved to Indianapolis. Ray had a job at Naval Avionics. Madonna was born in 1938 at Coleman's Women Hospital and the family had contracted to have a house built on Routier's Street. In 1939, the house was completed and they moved in.

In latter years, Ray and Milda were also blessed by the births of Beverly Joyce, Millard, Kay, Sally, Sue, Virginia and Debbie. Her whole life was wrapped in to being a wife, mother and homemaker.

Ray and Milda loved each other and their children. They were blessed with 23 grandchildren, 38 great-grandchildren and one great-great granddaughter. Her neighbors liked Milda. She was a member of the Eastern Star Lodge and attended St. John United Church of Christ. She enjoyed working with the other women at the King's Business sessions, followed by their eating a good lunch.

Ray Milda went to Arizona, Texas and Colorado on their biggest vacation. Most of the time when they took vacation, they visited their relatives in southern Illinois. Almost every summer they visited family there.

Ray passed away in 1991 of lung cancer at age 77. Milda and Ray had 12 years of retirement living before he died. Ray never had to go to a nursing home, because Milda took care of him at home.

We celebrate their love, loyalty and devotion to each other and to their descendants. All of Milda siblings preceded her in death.

She passed away on a Sunday at Regency Place were she had resided for the past 7 years with 2 of her daughters at her side.