Mildred Amant

Mildred "Millie" (Schwanderlik) Amant, 91, of Arbor Vitae, died peacefully at InnCare in Minocqua, WI, on May 23, 2011. She would have celebrated her 92nd birthday on Sunday. Millie was born in Chicago, Illinois, on May 29, 1919, the first child born to the late Alfred and Albina "Albie" Schwanderlik who had earlier immigrated to the United States from Bohemia-Czechoslovakia and Bohemia-Austria, respectively. Brother Ludwig "Louie" was born in 1920, but died in infancy. Brother Carl was born in 1921, but was killed in action in 1944 while serving with the U.S. Army in Italy. Millie is survived by her sister Betty (the late Claude) March of Arbor Vitae. Millie was a 1938 graduate of Von Steuben High School in Chicago. In 1938 her parents, who owned hardware stores, bought Al's Sugarbush Lodge on Lower Sugarbush Lake in Lac du Flambeau. Millie was employed in the clerical department at Tabin-Picker Dress Company in Chicago and, while visiting the resort in 1942, she met her future husband, the late John W. Amant. After returning home to Chicago, her co-workers convinced her to call “Johnny,” and so began their courtship. Johnny enlisted in the U.S. Navy Seabees later that year and asked Millie to join him in Richmond, VA, where they were married on January 16, 1943. He was then sent to Hawaii and would send money home to Millie. She used the money he sent her to buy lakefront property on Lower Sugarbush Lake, across from her parents’ resort. Following his discharge, they made Chicago their residence, during which time Johnny built a summer home on the lake property. They moved to Des Plaines, Illinois, in 1952, and in June, 1961, their dream of living in the Northwoods came true when they moved with their family of five children to Lac du Flambeau permanently. Sadly, Johnny passed away in March of the following year. Millie was hired by Simpson Electric in 1968 and retired in 1983. For several years afterward, she was employed in housekeeping at Saint Anthony's Catholic Church in Lac du Flambeau until she sold her home on Sugarbush and moved to Arbor Vitae; first to Breezy Pines Mobile Home Park and then in 1987 to Evergreen Mobile Estates, where she purchased a mobile home. This became her residence until March of 2011, at which time she moved to InnCare of Minocqua following a worsening condition of congestive heart failure. Millie enjoyed counted cross-stitch, crocheting and painting and was an avid bowler. She was not afraid to learn something new, taking up cross-country skiing in her 50's, golf in her 60's and getting her first computer at 80. After moving to Arbor-Vitae, she became an active participant and greeter at the Lakeland Senior Center and enjoyed shooting pool there. She became the Center's resident pool instructor for a short while. She entered the Oneida County Senior Olympic Games in August 1999, at the age of 80, and won three 1st place medals, along with a 2nd place and a 3rd place in various events. In her later years Millie developed age-related macular degeneration and became legally blind. However, that did not slow her down, and with a magnifier nearby, she continued to play her favorite computer games of Spider and Free Cell. She also enjoyed spending time listening to her “talking books” which are recorded books that are made available to the visually impaired by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction’s Wisconsin Talking Books & Braille Library. Millie is survived by her five children: Robert J. "Skip" (Mary) Amant, William C. (Kathie) Amant, Sr., Linda L. (Kevin) Johnson, Daniel M. (Lucina) Amant and Nancy K. (Jerry) Zangle; 12 grandchildren: Harmony, Jeffrey, Tanya, Jessica, William, Jr., Anthony, Matthew, David, Rita, Amy, Heartley and Elijah; and 10 great-grandchildren: Haleigh, Ally, Christopher, Maria, Nadia, Alexander, Scott, Raegan, Alaysha and Aaliyah. She is also survived by her dog, Misty, who was her constant companion, and Millie’s dear friend and neighbor at Evergreen Mobile Estates, Paul Liebeck, whom she often referred to as her "adopted son." A memorial service at Ascension Lutheran Church in Minocqua will be scheduled for a later date in July. The family is requesting that donations be made to the American Macular Degeneration Foundation in lieu of flowers.

Mildred Amant

May 29, 1919 - May 23, 2011