BROKEN BOW – Wayne Mills, a World War II veteran from Custer County, died Wednesday. He was 99-year-old.
According to his obituary, Mills was born on April 20, 1926, to Frank and Bertha Mills on the family farm near Westerville, Nebraska. He was the third of six children.
After graduating from Westerville High School in 1943, Mills enlisted in the United States Army in 1944 at the age of 18. He was wounded in combat in February 1945, less than one month after arriving in Europe, and was awarded the Purple Heart. He served in the European Theater through the end of the war, and was honorably discharged in 1947. He returned to Nebraska, where he devoted his life to farming and family.
In April of this year, about 100 people gathered to celebrate Mills as he was presented with the WWII Recognition Medal, created by Gov. Jim Pillen and the Nebraska Department of Veterans affairs to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of the war.
Mills lived his final years at Brookestone View in Broken Bow. His family extends heartfelt thanks to the entire staff at Brookestone View for their kindness, compassion, and support in caring for Wayne.
A celebration of Wayne’s life will be held on Monday, June 16th, at 2 p.m. at the Broken Bow United Methodist Church. Graveside services with Military Honors will follow the service at Westerville Cemetery. A visitation for family and friends will be held on Sunday, June 15th from 1 to 5 p.m. with family from 3 to 5 p.m. at Govier Brothers Mortuary in Broken Bow.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Custer County Foundation in support of the Mills-Hartman Scholarship and the Westerville Cemetery.
