Mildred "Mickey" Maus Obituary

A Memorial Service for Mildred “Mickey” Maus of Graceville, Minnesota, formerly of Chokio, will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 2, 2026, at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Chokio with Pastoral Minister Abby Weick officiating. Visitation will be at the church one hour prior to the service. Burial will take place following the service at Synnes Cemetery, rural Alberta, Minnesota.

Mildred “Mickey” Edna Lange, daughter of Roland and Cora (Wilson) Lange, was born on May 2, 1929, in Leonardsville Township, Traverse County, Minnesota. She attended Country School District 44 from 1935-1939 and District 11 from 1940-1943. Mickey was confirmed on May 28, 1944, at St John’s Lutheran Church in Donnelly. She attended Alberta High School graduating on May 29, 1947. Two days after graduation, Mickey began working at the old Morris Hospital where she worked for two years before going to St. Paul to take her LPN exam. She successfully passed her exam and continued working at the Morris Hospital.

While roller-skating with friends, Mickey met Virgil Maus and they were united in marriage on November 22, 1948, in Morris, Minnesota. Mickey continued working as a nurse in Morris until Virgil’s National Guard troop was ordered to report to Camp Rucker Alabama during the Korean War. Mickey joined Virgil at Camp Rucker where she worked as a nurse at the camp hospital until the birth of their son David. Upon Virgil’s discharge from service, Virgil and Mickey purchased a farm south of Chokio and began raising crops, dairy cows, hogs, chickens, and geese. During this time, Mickey stayed at home keeping very busy raising eight children, freezing and canning garden produce, and helping with many farm duties. Together she and Virgil butchered many chickens, farm livestock, and wild game. Having grown up in the 1930’s and 1940’s, Mickey let nothing go to waste. She made the best liver sausage, blood sausage, and head cheese as well as homemade soap from the tallow and fats from meat processing. Mickey was a great cook and her family enjoyed delicious meals and baked treats through the years.

Virgil and Mickey moved their family into a home in Chokio after they purchased the Chokio Municipal Liquor Store in 1970. They completed extensive remodeling and an addition to the bar to include a restaurant and dance floor and operated the business for 25 years. Upon selling the business and retiring, Mickey and Virgil moved into an apartment at Eastside Acres in Chokio. Not known to sit still for very long, they became caretakers of the apartment building. After Virgil’s death in 2010, Mickey continued as a caretaker until she was 92.

Mickey loved being outdoors, camping, fishing, traveling, gardening, and tending to her numerous flowers. She especially loved spending time with her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. Mickey and Virgil enjoyed many travels with family and friends in their motorhome throughout the United States and to Canada. Once her children were raised, Mickey enjoyed quilting and made many a quilt for her family.

Mickey died on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, at Grace Home in Graceville, Minnesota. She was 96 years old.

Mickey is survived by her eight children: David Maus of Ortonville, Darrell (Peggy) Maus of Andover, Mary Whitmer (Terry Wagner) of New Prague, Daniel (Gayle) Maus of Oro Valley, AZ, Joan Maus and Tim Maus of Ortonville, Terry (Carol) Maus of Clinton, and Jill (Vincent) Powlish of Graceville; ten grandchildren: Shawna (Joe) Conroy, Tracy (Ian) Freeburg, Nathan (Sarah) Maus, Brian (Sarah) Whitmer, Eric (Melissa) Whitmer, Andrew (Kara) Maus, Danica Maus, Christa (Seth) Gary, Ashley (Bryan) Huso, Bruce (Jenny) Powlish; twenty one great grandchildren: Joey, Brandon, and Adam Freeburg, Greta and Lauren Conroy, Finn and Ellie Maus, Anna Ogdahl, Katelyn Whitmer Johnson, Andrew, Elizabeth, Waylon, Emma, and Everett Whitmer, Lochlan and Lena Maus, Ameerah, Camden, and Kashton Gary, Otto and Aidyn Powlish; and one great, great granddaughter: Evelyn Rose Johnson. Brother-in-law Cecil Maus, sisters-in-law Idella Beebe, Bertie Sperr, Jane Hruby, and Dorothy Maus and numerous nieces and nephews.

Mickey was preceded in death by her husband Virgil, son-in-law Raymond Whitmer, great grandson Kaden Gary; her parents, brothers Floyd and Harold, sisters Darlene, Lola, Emma, and Joyce, numerous brothers and sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews.

The family would like to say a special thanks to Grace Home in Graceville and Vivie Hospice.

IN LIEU OF FLOWERS THE FAMILY PREFERS MEMORIALS TO MAIN STREET INDUSTRIES, CLINTON, MINNESOTA, OR TO LOCAL CHARITIES IN MICKEY’S NAME.

The Pedersen Funeral Home in Morris is in care of the arrangements for Mickey.