Mildred Whitlock Rasband

Mildred Whitlock Rasband
(1913-1995)

Mildred Whitlock was born December 8, 1913, in Mayfield, Utah, the third of seven children and the first daughter to Charles Clyde and Herdis Christoffersen Whitlock. She was her mother’s “right hand” and is revered by her family. Education was important in the family. Imagine her horror when she brought her first real book home from first grade, stopped at a friend’s old privy, and accidentally knocked the precious book down the big black cavern, never to be retrieved again. She was valedictorian of her high school class at Manti High and earned her Normal Certificate (right to teach public school) at Snow College then graduated from Brigham Young University. She continued to take classes throughout her life to broaden her educational skills, her religious knowledge or other areas of interest. She held teaching certifications in every area of education and earned enough graduate credits for a doctoral degree. She was a master teacher.

Family was very important to her. She married Grant Thomas Rasband in the Manti Temple when she was 28 and they wanted a big family. George, Kathryn, and Karen came quickly and naturally but Edie was the result of a priesthood blessing from Elder Harold B. Lee. Even with teaching school and working with children all day, they added six foster Lamanite children to their family. They were thrilled with their thirty-three grandchildren and joyously welcomed great-grandchildren.

Mildred was a fun, happy, enthusiastic person. She had many talents. She was an excellent cook and made many artistic quilts. Food storage preparation was a regular part of living. She loved the beauty of nature and loved to be outside. Gardening, picking raspberries, hauling wood, or playing with children, grandchildren or great-grandchildren were her joys. Her home was the favorite “cousin place” and her posterity loved to be there. Vacations and camping were important activities. Travel, meeting people, and seeing new places were a delight. She was a prolific writer of talks, programs, poetry, family histories, and letters which often served as her journal. She loved life and was always active and busy with several projects with many others in the planning stages.

She was Primary president in Mayfield, MIA president in Pleasant Grove 4th Ward and Lindon Ward, and Resthaven Special Needs. She taught in all of the auxiliaries. Family history and temple service was always a priority. When she was younger she did handwork such as embroidery and crocheting but later she spent her time doing name extraction because she felt that was of eternal importance.

In June, 1972, she was in an automobile accident which severed her spinal cord. Because of the paralysis she was told that she would spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair. Through the blessings of the Priesthood, extensive therapy, and much fasting and prayer she was able to return to her home after a month in the hospital. When it was time for school to begin in the fall, she was heavily braced and returned to teaching first grade. Many of these children had fasted and prayer for her throughout the summer and there was a very special feeling in that classroom.

After Grant retired from working at Geneva Steel, Mildred took early retirement and they served a proselyting mission in Hawaii. When they returned home they began their service as ordinance workers at the Provo Temple. After serving sixteen years, Mildred had to be released because of ALS, Lou Gehrig’s disease. Her mind remained sharp and alert to the end, however the nerves and muscles failed and she gradually lost her ability to move, write, or speak. She died in her daughter Edie’s home in Sandy, Utah, on 14 November 1995. This is her last general message to her family:

“During the last few months I have had many hours to contemplate, to meditate, and to realize what is the most important thing in the world. The most significant thing we must each do is to prepare to return to Heavenly Father. You are my life and my love. Please, my precious ones, continue your faithful, diligent work. Where necessary, repent. You are all working so hard and it isn’t easy. The dearest thing to me is that we can be a family forever. I wish that you could feel this as I do! There will be no great gift that we can give one another than to assemble ourselves together in the Celestial Kingdom….

“I want each of you to know that I know that God lives and knows each of us individually. He hears and answers prayers. I love Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ with my whole soul. I know this is the only true church…. I know there is power, consolations, and peace within the pages of the Book of Mormon. I love and appreciate each one of you, my precious family. I constantly pray, ‘God be with us ‘til we meet again.’ Love, Grandma Rasband (Mildred Whitlock Rasband)”