Carmen (Schuler) Mills was born at home on December 2, 1925 at a time when most rural homes did not have electricity or inside toilets . She grew up during the Great Depression and experienced World War II. She married Ernest Schuler, who served in the US Navy in the South Pacific during the war. After the war, Ernest was stationed at Mare Island Naval Shipyard. The young couple spent a magical two years living in and experiencing the awakening elegance of post war Oakland and San Francisco. Carmen went to modeling school and the style and grooming lessons she learned influenced her lifelong habits of daily taking time to look her best.

The young couple returned to Humboldt County in 1946 to begin a family, and daughters Sandra (Schuler) McColgan and Karen (Schuler) Sauls were born. Carmen lived for 37 years in McKinleyville, where she was very active in the community, served as room mother for both daughters, acted as PTA secretary and reporter, and received an honorary life membership for her service. She was a 4-H leader for many years and was ahead of the times in leading a campaign with the Dow’s Prairie 4-Hers against littering.

Carmen’s other contributions to the community of McKinleyville included involvement in charity fund drives, school librarian, assuming positions as secretary for the Chamber Commerce, McKinleyville Area Planning Committee, and member of the College of the Redwood’s Citizen’s Advisory Committee for the McKinleyville Campus.

Carmen had a love for writing and wrote stories and poems for her daughters which she often illustrated. She also wrote skits for school and 4-H presentations. Carmen returned to Humboldt State and took journalism classes to hone her writing skills and wrote for local newspapers, the Lumberjack at Humboldt State University, and was the McKinleyville correspondent for the Humboldt Times. Carmen’s love for writing and history enabled her to interview and capture stories about the lives of local “old timers” including memories from her own family, the Nortons. These stories were featured in a weekly column in the Arcata Union, “Just Looking Back into McKinleyville’s Past.” Carmen enjoyed opportunities to lecture on McKinleyville history in the local schools.

Other writing accomplishments included a history written about pioneer immigrants George Fredrick and Elizabeth Schuler for the Shasta publication The Covered Wagon.

Carmen had a strong faith in God and lived a positive life and expressed a grateful attitude despite long suffered health issues. She attended First Baptist Church in Arcata and its satellite church in McKinleyville and the Bayside Community Presbyterian Church.

In later life she enjoyed traveling with her second husband Karl Mills, who preceded her in death.

Carmen Mills at 98 outlived most of her family and friends but will be greatly missed by her daughters Sandra McColgan and Karen Sauls and step-son Jeff Mills, her granddaughter Kathryn Sauls-Sparks and husband Joesph Sparks and great-grandson Atticus Sparks, her buddy despite a 90 year old age difference. Other family include nephew Calvin Norton and wife Sue and numerous nieces, and grandnieces and grandnephews.

A special thanks to the Helping Hands Boarding Care Home owners Navgeet Kaur and Harjit Rana who provided such an excellent, clean and safe environment for our mother in the final two years of her life and for all her loving and competent caregivers.

A graveside ceremony for Carmen will be held at Greenwood Cemetery in Arcata on Friday. October 18 at 11 a.m.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Carmen Mills loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.