Mildred Kueter Obituary

Mildred Margaret Kueter, devoted wife of William Joseph Kueter, of Jonesboro, Arkansas, passed from this world to the Heavenly kingdom on Sunday, September 10, 2023. She was 82 years old. At the time of her passing she was being cared for at St. Bernard's Hospital directly over the previous site of her beloved Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church. She was surrounded in prayer by her four children and listening to words of love from her husband of 55 years. Millie entered our world on June 2, 1941 in Pocahontas, Arkansas as the fifth of eight children to Dr. Matthias Anthony and Mrs. Mary Louise DeClerk Baltz. She was born in her own home and delivered by her father. She attended elementary and high school at St. Paul Catholic School. She was a state champion bowler and was the valedictorian of her graduating class in 1959. After high school she attended Siena College and then subsequently earned her pharmacy degree at the University of Tennessee. It was her custom to write the abbreviation H. S. H. M. at the top of all of her writings and school work. One of her pharmacy professors thought it was a sort of cheat code for tests. It actually stood for "Holy Spirit Help Me," and she utilized this acronym her entire life, especially when confronted with difficult situations. After pharmacy school she worked as a pharmacist in Pocahontas, at St. Bernard's in Jonesboro, and in Little Rock. Millie and Bill were set up on a blind date by Millie's cousin George Ann Baltz and Bill's brother Ted Kueter in 1967. Bill had loaned Ted money to buy an engagement ring for George Ann, so they reciprocated by finding Bill a beautiful bride. It was love at first sight and they married 17 months later, on September 1, 1968. As Bill said at the time of her passing, "We crossed many bridges together. " One of the first of these bridges was Millie helping Bill transition from his job as a railroad mechanic to a Doctor of Pharmacy. After Bill completed pharmacy school, they settled into life in Jonesboro and continued their journey together. In 1971 their marriage transitioned from a couple to a family as they welcomed Joseph Charles Kueter. The brood enlarged in 1973 with Beth Theresa Kueter, 1974 with Daniel Baltz Kueter, and finally in 1976 with Will Andrew Kueter. Game On!! Millie subsequently retired from pharmacy and devoted herself to four vocations in life: Love and devotion to God; Love and devotion to her Family; Love of babies and the sanctity of human life; and Love of gardening and flowers. "So now faith, hope, and love abide these three; but the greatest of these is love. " Millie was a devout Catholic and prayer was her superpower. She lived her faith as a parishioner of Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church. She prayed the Rosary every day of her entire adult life. Over 60+ years this extrapolates out to 131,400 Our Fathers and a whopping 1,160,700 Hail Marys. The length of those rosary chains stacked end-on-end would stretch 54,750 feet, which would not quite get you to heaven, but would certainly improve your trajectory. Millie's love of her family was unwavering. She was blessed with 4 children over a span of 5 years and she showered them with love, while also expecting accountability. She led through example and worked to impart the importance of education, hard work, and a spiritual life. She was a master creator of costumes for school plays. She was nocturnal and would stay up late sewing or working on projects for her children. She was a great cook and kept her children's hungry mouths full. She taught mathematics at the grocery store, baking at home, and was a stickler to ensure that homework was done on time. And finally, she strove to ensure that there was a family meal every evening to talk and share in each other's lives. Despite all of this, it has been rumored that some of her boys had a little bit of a wild streak. To borrow a country music phrase, her children were perhaps the only hell she ever raised. Holidays brought more opportunities for family interactions. Millie's family traversed the Arkansas highways to Pocahontas and Paragould and spent long evenings with siblings, cousins, and grandparents. The majority of these drives were made in an old-fashioned station wagon with the kids crawling and sliding all throughout the vehicle. Being a devout Catholic had its share of inconveniences, such as no meat on Fridays and lots and lots of rosaries. But Millie always tried to make the best of things. In addition to Christmas, she supplemented her kids' goodies through religious holidays such as the feast of the three wise men and the feast of St. Nicholas. In addition to her own family, Millie loved all babies. She was a tireless volunteer at the Pregnancy Problem Center and was unwavering in her commitment to the Pro-Life movement. She undoubtedly helped hundreds of babies be born into the world and experience the joy of God's grace. She lived the tenets of faith and work written about in the book of James: "If a brother or sister has nothing to wear or no food for the day, and one of you says to them, 'Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,' but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it? So also, faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead. " Millie's faith was completed by her works. Finally, Millie loved to garden. She loved to spend time outdoors and tend to her beautiful flowers. In her later life she earned a Master Gardener Certification from Arkansas State University. As a devout Christian, she "Gave us this day our daily bread," by making excellent homemade breads, cinnamon rolls, and even Communion bread. She canned okra, tomatoes, strawberry preserves, green beans, and more. You could say she was a pioneer of the organic and farm-to-table movements before anyone even knew they existed. She also tried her hand at vinekeeping and produced homemade wine. Mysteriously, a few of these vintage bottles disappeared during nights when the teenage kids had sleepovers in the basement. Millie had numerous blessings in life, but her story would be incomplete without also addressing her struggles. Jesus said in Matthew Chapter 16, "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. " Millie bore her cross without complaint. She was diagnosed with lymphoma in 1993 and underwent at least two stem cell bone marrow transplants and years upon years of chemotherapy. This treatment led to other problems such as heart failure and depression. But she never lost her faith in science, and never lost her faith in God. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church states, "Though faith is above reason, there can never be any real discrepancy between faith and reason. Since the same God who reveals mysteries and infuses faith has bestowed the light of reason on the human mind, God cannot deny Himself, nor can truth ever contradict truth. . . the things of the world and the things of faith derive from the same God. " Millie is enjoying her Heavenly reward. She has borne her cross and is now rejoicing with her crown. "She has fought the good fight. She has finished the race. She has kept the faith. " Let us then joyfully reflect on her influence in our lives. She was a devout woman, unwavering in her faith and her principles. As the Our Father reminds us, she put God first: "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven. " She loved her heritage and the fact that her children were "DeClerk Baltz Weyer Kueters. " She loved spending time with her parents, loved visiting with her siblings, and loved pictures and visits from her children and grandchildren. And finally in her last days what she loved most was sitting in her recliner and looking lovingly four feet across the way at her doting husband. Let us continue in her examples of faith, hope and love. "As it was in the beginning is now, and ever shall be, world without end, Amen. " Millie is survived by her husband, William Joseph Kueter, and her children: Dr. Joseph Kueter (Diane) of Jonesboro, Beth Suminski (Dr. Michael) of Jonesboro, Dr. Daniel Kueter (Jennifer) of Chattanooga, and Dr. Will Kueter (Michelle) of Jonesboro. She is the proud grandmother to seven grandchildren: Derek Steven Kueter (Jonesboro), Abigail Grace Kueter (San Diego), Andrew Joseph Kueter (Jonesboro), Matthew Charles Kueter (Jonesboro), Soleigh Margaret Kueter (Chattanooga), Miles Winston Kueter (Chattanooga), and Logan Michael Suminski (Jonesboro). She is also survived by her siblings Guy Baltz, Rita Dust, Madeline Throesch, Genie Harper, Albert Baltz, and Janet Holt. She is preceded in death by her parents Dr. Matthias Anthony and Mary Louise Baltz and her sister Mary Therese Davis. Millie would ask that everyone reading this say a prayer for her and thank God for their many blessings in life. And if you have a favorite charity, please consider supporting them with your faith and with your works. SERVICE DETAILS WILL BE LISTED LATER TODAY