Mielke, Willard I.

CONDON - Willard I. "Bill" Mielke, 81, of Conrad, a retired 
Air Force dentist, died Sunday at the veterans' home in 
Columbia Falls, of complications from Alzheimer's disease.

Private services will take place under the direction of 
Columbia Mortuary.

Bill traveled through life with a smile on his face, a good 
story, and a welcoming laugh which he shared with those 
he knew as well as those he didn't. Bill's engaging manner 
was silenced May 23, 2010, by complications due to 
Alzheimer's.

He was born March 1, 1929, to Irvin and Emma (Knacke) 
Mielke in Brownton, Minn., and spent his childhood 
farming there with his family. Bill often related stories of 
working on the farm for his parents and neighboring farms 
before many people had electricity or owned cars and 
tractors. During this time, he also routinely walked 1.5 
miles to the county schoolhouse in snow deeper than his 
own height and uphill both ways. He attended Brownton 
High School and played on their football, basketball and 
baseball teams and enjoyed fast-pitch softball through the 
summer. 

Bill graduated from Brownton High School in 1946 and 
attended St. Cloud State for one year and then transferred 
to Elmhurst College, Ill., and graduated with a B.S. in 1950. 
Bill then attended the University of Minnesota School of 
Dentistry, graduating in 1954, and was commissioned as an 
officer into the U.S. Air Force that summer. During his time 
of service as a dentist, he was assigned to Chitose AFB, 
Japan; Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota; RAF Wethersfield, 
England; Tuy Hoa AFB, South Vietnam; Malmstrom AFB, 
Montana; Maxwell AFB, Alabama; and the Command Dental 
Surgeon Air University. In most of his assignments, Bill was 
the Chief Dental Officer in charge of numerous junior 
officers and guiding many young airmen. He retired after 
more than 28 years in the Air Force, but continued to share 
his enjoyment of dentistry and service through teaching 
the dental hygiene students at Carroll College in Helena, 
Mont., and the dental assistant students at MSU College of 
Technology at Great Falls, Mont., until his second 
retirement in 1993. He was instrumental in establishing the 
Dental Hygiene Program at MSUGF. Bill's third career was 
cabin building, nurturing trees, chopping wood (of the 
trees he didn't nurture), and living the good life in western 
Montana with his wife, Janice Rambo Mielke.

Bill continued to play fast-pitch softball and volleyball into 
his late 30s, but his greatest love was enjoying the 
outdoors. He lived for fishing, hunting, hiking, nature 
photography and chocolate, and imbued these loves into 
each of his five children who continue these activities 
today. His favorite assignments in the Air Force were 
Japan, England and Montana, all of which provided wild 
places for him to enjoy nature. 

Bill will be deeply missed by wife Jan of Condon, Mont.; 
children, Kevin (Carol) Mielke of Conrad, Mont., Kathy 
(Harlan Jones) Mielke of Stillwater, Minn., Cheri (Scott) 
Mosher of Great Falls, Mont., Cyndie (Ron) Sherer of 
Stanford, Mont., Eric (Joni) Mielke of Missoula, Mont.; and 
11 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Whenever friends and family visited the Mielke cabin in 
Condon, Bill was known to hang on the car door for quite 
a while, talking and delaying the departure of his visitors. 
He was known to remark, "It's not goodbye; it's just so 
long." We have all said a final so long to an incredible man 
who touched the lives of many. 

Condolences may be posted online at 
www.gftribune.com/obituaries.

Published in Great Falls Tribune on May 25, 2010