Work Ethic

My strongest memory of Grandpa is his work ethic. I remember being woken up in the dark to have family prayer so Grandpa could get to work. What a great example!
--Bethany

Little Green Trees

One of my memories of Grandpa is whenever I eat broccoli with Grandpa, he tells me they are little green trees.
--Lauren

Pass the Bloomin' Onion Please

Grandpa Mills is a great man. Grandpa has always gone out of his way to make sure that I felt a part of the family. He made sure that I was included in the family dinners, and I think I have said the prayer at those more than any other married granchild. :) One of the best times of the year is Priesthood session. We always get together to listen to the session, and then go out for steak. I have very fond memories of the great discussions I have had with Grandpa over a steak dinner. One of the best memories is when Grandpa asked the table next to us if he could have the rest of their Bloomin' Onion because his grandsons were hungry! Here is to many more good memories! Happy Birthday Grandpa, we love you!!
--Andrew

Personal Interviews

On fast Sunday each month we would each get to go in and talk to Dad about our goals for the coming week. Dad had a huge folding table set up as his desk in his bedroom and I’d sit on the bed and he’d sit behind his table and we had a private moment in a house filled to capacity. We’d talk about goals and school and what was going on in my little life. It was special because I got time alone with Dad.
--Marilyn

Golf Caddy

A strong memory I have is when Dad played golf in Mountain Fuel golf tournaments occasionally. He would let one of us kids be his caddy and we would walk the entire course with him. After the tournament was over, he would walk over to the practice green and he would let me putt for a little while. I think I was 11, and he stopped golfing later on. It meant a lot to me to be his caddy.
--Marilyn

Coach Mills

My father was a great football coach. He coached football for the right reasons. He was not in it for himself, he already had enough self-esteem. He coached for the boys. He used the moments he had coaching football to teach me and many other boys some valuable lessons in life. The lessons he taught were 1) commitment -- you had to be at practice every day 2) this is a team game -- people are counting on you so you need to perform 3) don't quit -- get up when you have been knocked on your butt, even if you are tired 4) effort matters -- when you extend more effort you get to celebrate more often 5) fundamentals -- learn the basics really well and it will form a good foundation for the future 6) no nepotism -- I was not shown any favoritism for being the coach's son -- I didn't get the glory positions of QB or running back -- I played center and some nose guard.

One of the the most important football lesson my father taught me is that everyone is important. My Dad was not the type to yell and scream, and play only the "good" players. Long before there was a 10 play rule in little league football my Dad instituted one of his own because of an early mistake in his coaching career. That mistake was not playing one player but only a couple of plays in a game. I remember my father breaking down in tears as he apologized to that player upon realizing his mistake after the game. He promptly came home and phoned the player's parents and apologized to them too. He promised it would not happen again and before it became a league rule my Dad made it a rule of his own.

I remember the good times of stopping by for a Slurpee after a hot practice with pads in August. Or riding home in the back of the truck to cool off on the way home. I have many good memories of the time on my Dad's teams.

The learning continued even after I quit playing. My Dad loved football so much that he continued to coach even when he did not have any sons playing. Brian and I each had the opportunity to be an assistant coach with my Dad for one season. What a great opportunity that was to continue the bonding between father and son.

I know I am not the only one who thought my Dad was a great coach. Whenever I run into any former teammates they always ask about Dad and they always tell how they still think of him after all these years.

Besides being a success in using football to teach lessons my Dad was also a success with his win-loss record. Winning was not the most important thing to my father but we did win many games. I know we had several seasons where we lost only 1 or 2 games. I also know that we won one mini bowl and took second place in another mini bowl.


Nice pants Dad.

--Matt

Yodeling

My dad would try to teach us to yodel at odd moments. He and I would sit on the ski lift and he would break out yodeling. We’d be on family trips and make roadside stops so everyone could stretch, and the yodeling would begin. Then he would get that big grin on his face knowing he had been silly. It was fun. It was comforting.
--Marilyn