Ted Meredith Mills passed away May 14, 2020 from complications of Alzheimer’s Disease at Good Samaritan Nursing Home, Ravenna, Nebraska.
Ted was born June 12th, 1932 on a family farm near Westerville, Nebraska to Frank and Bertha Mills. His early education was completed at Cherryvale and Copsey country schools in Custer county Nebraska. He graduated in 1949 from Westerville High School. He enrolled at Kearney State College and after completing one year he taught for a term at Hanna Corner country school in Custer county. He was then drafted into the Army during the Korean War and served with the Occupational Forces in Germany from 1953 to 1955. Upon receiving his honorable discharge, he returned to Kearney State where he completed his Bachelor of Arts in Education in 1958.
On August 10th, 1958, he was united in marriage to Elaine Mesloh and together they had three sons, Jerry, Stanley and Bradley. The family was also blessed to have their uncle Randy Mesloh join the family in 1967. In 1964 he received his Master’s Degree in Education at the University of Wyoming, Laramie. For the next 27 years he was employed as a teacher and coach in several Nebraska communities including Sutherland, Red Cloud, Blue Hill, Hebron and Holdrege. He taught social studies, driver’s education, biology and coached basketball, wrestling, track and most notably, football. In 1981 he retired from coaching and became the principal at Holdrege Jr. High School. In 1984 he moved to Worland Wyoming to join his wife and became the Worland Jr. High School principal. His final three years of being an educator ended as the Pender High School principal and athletic director in Pender, Nebraska. In 1992, he and Elaine retired to Buffalo Wyoming.
In addition to being a devoted husband and father, Ted will be most remembered for being a teacher and high school football coach. For 17 years, he touched the lives of many boys in schools across the state and helped them to develop mental, physical toughness and character on the football field. As head coach of the Hebron Bears, he guided them to state championship ratings in 1969 and 1970 with his nephew Randy as the quarterback. As head coach of the Holdrege Dusters, he guided several players to walk-on or receive athletic scholarships from the Nebraska Cornhuskers program. All three of his boys participated in football, wrestling and track. He also influenced many students in the classroom as a high school biology teacher. Many remember him as ‘BioTed.’ His sense of humor and storytelling were legendary. His life story would be incomplete without revisiting the phrase he frequently used in the locker room before a football game where he instructed his boys to ‘Show ‘em how the hogs ate the cabbage!!’
During his retirement years in Buffalo Wyoming he stayed active as he enjoyed fishing, camping, golfing, exercising, playing pitch and following his beloved Huskers. He and Elaine frequently returned to Nebraska to watch his grandchildren participate in sports and theater. In 2007 he was honored by the University of Nebraska at Kearney with induction into the Athletic Hall of Fame. Ted and Elaine returned to Nebraska in 2010 to be closer to family.
He is survived by his loving wife Elaine, of Broken Bow, Nebraska. Three boys Jerry Mills (Caron) of Cocoa, Florida, Stanley Mills of Libby, Montana, Bradley Mills of Lincoln, Nebraska and nephew Randy Mesloh (Lynn) of Hebron, Nebraska. He is also survived by two brothers Wayne Mills (Marvel) of Broken Bow, Nebraska, Paul Mills of Broken Bow, Nebraska and sister Sylvia Happold of Grand Island, Nebraska. Ted was blessed with many grandchildren and great grandchildren. His mother and father Frank and Bertha, brothers Harry and Dana preceded him in death.
Memorial services are pending at this time due to the COVID-19. An online guest book may be signed for words of encouragement or remembrance at www.govierbrothers.com. Govier Brothers Mortuary are in charge of arrangements.
