Millie Pratt Giddings

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Giddings, Millie Pratt age 99, of Anoka, passed away March 12, 2010 surrounded by her loving family. Millie was born in 1910 in Minneapolis to George and Caroline Hendrickson. She attended Wood Lake School, a two-room schoolhouse, in Richfield, graduated from Minneapolis Central High School a year early and completed two years at Saint Cloud State Teachers College before the financial crash of 1929 interrupted her college career. She then worked at Sears and the YWCA. Millie was an active athlete, a hiker, a golfer and a skier. In the 1930's she and her friends went on many hiking expeditions, including one by automobile to Glacier National Park. In 1941 Millie married Hazen Curtis Pratt, a fellow founding member of the former Nob Hill Ski Club in Minneapolis. Hazen was a talented engineer trained at MIT, and the principal original designer of the Hoffman electrical enclosures still manufactured in Anoka. After Hazen's unexpected death in 1958, Millie, with five boys ages 6-16 to raise and support alone, returned to college and graduated from the U of M with a degree in education in 1960. For the next 17 years, as a dedicated teacher, she inspired and encouraged the fifth graders at Washington Elementary School in Anoka. In 1978 Millie married Ralph Giddings and they enjoyed retirement together with a lot of traveling. Millie was active in her community as a member, volunteer and officer of many organizations, including the First Congregational Church of Anoka and the Anoka Philolectian Society. Millie loved all social events, sending and receiving letters and phone calls, traveling, and learning new things. Millie was a loving and devoted wife and mother and a very good friend to all fortunate enough to know her. She was very talented at appreciating the best in people. Millie was preceded in death by husbands Hazen Pratt and Ralph Giddings; brothers Chester and Will Hendrickson. Survived by sons, Curtis Pratt (Pat Norton), Thomas Henry Pratt (Francisca Paz de Oliveira), Devin (Zoe) Hazenson, Jim Pratt, and Jon Pratt (Deborah Clemmensen); step children Hugh Pratt, Betty Stewart, Bill (Dana) Pratt, Tom (Sharon) Giddings, Marilyn (Roger) Sawyer, and Dick (Myrlette) Giddings, 7 grandchildren, 2 great-grandchildren, many step grandchildren and great-grandchildren, nephews and nieces, and brother Richard (Betty) Hendrickson. Memorial Service Saturday, April 17, 11 AM with Visitation 1 hour prior at First Congregational Church of Anoka at Main Street and Third Ave. South. Memorials preferred to Franklin School in Anoka. Thurston-Lindberg Funeral Home Anoka 763-421-0220 thurston-lindberg.com

Published on April 11, 2010