Mildred Louise Reeves (Micky) Milligan passed away peacefully on September 28, 2026, at Lifecare Center of Sparta, surrounded by family and friends.
Mildred was born on August 2, 1935, to Aubrey Lee and Stacy (Hale) Reeves in Sparta, TN. She was the youngest daughter of 8 children. She attended White County High School and graduated in 1956. After high school, Mildred began her career with the ASCS (Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service) Office, a division of the USDA, as a Program Assistant over the Agriculture Conservation Reserve (Soil Bank Program) and Conservation Reserve Price Support. She worked her way up as a specialist in each of these programs. She often shared many stories of helping the many farmers of White County, and helping those farmers brought her great joy in life. It was also at the ASCS office where she met her husband and love of her life, Kenneth, who was working in the tobacco program as a Field Representative in the summer of 1957. She originally wanted nothing to do with him, as she thought he was not her type and turned him down on several dates, but finally, after encouragement from friends, she went on a blind date with him on a boating outing at Rock Island in September of 1957. They were inseparable after that and were married in Ringold GA, on December 21, 1957. In December of 1958, Mildred and Kenneth welcomed their one and only child, a baby girl, Deborah Dru, on New Year’s Eve 1958, the last White County baby of the year. After Mildred’s retirement from the USDA in 1996, she and Kenneth moved to the Cumberland Plateau, making it their retirement home and little piece of heaven overlooking Sparta and Cookeville, where she enjoyed baking, gardening, and entertaining. She was always planning a gathering, be it a birthday or anniversary party, BBQ, fish fry, or any type of celebration. You could never visit without an invitation to sit down and eat a homemade piece of cake or pie, and you would have left with fruits from the orchard, or vegetables, herbs, or fresh flowers from Kenneth’s garden, even an opportunity to catch a fish from Bass Lake behind their house! Mildred was active in her community and was a member of the Sparta Order of Eastern Star, having served in many local and state leadership roles, and Cumberland Heights Church of Christ, where she was very active in the Ladies Group. She moved into the Assisted Living at Lifecare in November of 2023 when Alzheimer’s and Dementia no longer allowed her to live at home. She was a happy little warrior in her final years and loved her many caregivers and nurses at Lifecare.
Mildred is preceded in death by her parents, Aubrey and Stacy Reeves, two infant brothers at their birth, William and Thomas Reeves, Charlie Reeves, Donald Reeves, two sisters, Maureen Reeves Yates, Jewel Reeves Anderson Wilson, and her beloved husband of 51 years, Kenneth Milligan. She is survived by her daughter, Dru (Joe) Otterpohl of Franklin TN, Paul Reeves a brother, Sparta Tn, two granddaughters by marriage, Laura (Stas) Zevilsky of Haifa Israel and Amy (Shaun) Connor of Brentwood TN., six great grandchildren and many nieces, great nieces, nephews and great nephew, and her grand dog Claude Monet “Nubbins”. Also, a very special caregiver, Stephanie (Gary) Axford, whom she loved dearly.
Funeral services will be at Cumberland Heights Church of Christ of Sparta on Saturday, October 10, 2026, with Brother Doug Downs officiating. Visitation will begin at 11 am with a celebration of life service beginning at 1 pm. Burial will be at Oak Lawn Cemetery. Pall Bearers include, Gary Axford (Sparta Tn), Jerry Campbell (Nashville TN), Guy Goff (Cookeville TN), Troy Hovden (Bluffton Iowa) Rob McKinney (Nashville TN), Tim Milligan (Bluffton Iowa) and honorary Pall Bearers Dillon, Dalton and Mason Axford (Sparta, TN).
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to one of Mildred's favorite charities, St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, White County Humane Society, and Cumberland Heights Church of Christ.
Any friends who would like to view the livestream of the service will find it accessible on Facebook at "Cumberland Heights Church of Christ".
To sign the online guestbook or to send the family a message, please visit www.oaklawnmemorial.com.
