My grandma, who we affectionately call Nana, would have been 100 years old today. Her name was Mildred Agnes Kaiser, named after her mother Mildred Irene, and she was born October 25, 1923. “Millie” was the second oldest child, but she never had a chance to meet her older brother, Vernon. He passed away before she was born when he was just four months old. She grew up on Garden Street in DeKalb, IL, with her three younger siblings, Glendora, Mary, and Ronnie. She had a large extended family, and spent a lot of time with her cousins on both sides of the family.
She attended DeKalb Township High School, and graduated in 1942, just six months after Pearl Harbor was attacked and the U.S. joined World War II. After graduation, she worked at the Wurlitzer factory, a local piano factory that manufactured drone airplanes during the war. In 1944, she decided to enlist in the WAVES and served in the Navy for 22 months. She was stationed in Pensacola, FL at Saufley Field. (Read the full story of Nana’s time in the WAVES here.)
When Nana came home from the WAVES, she married my Papa, Ed Drake, on June 29, 1946. They had a simple wedding with family and friends at the Methodist Church in DeKalb. After they were married, they lived in DeKalb and ran a small tavern called Teen’s Tap that they had inherited from Nana’s dad. Their oldest daughter Pat was born in 1947. In 1952, Ed and Millie decided to sell the tavern and move into a larger home in Genoa. They purchased a plot of land on the edge of town and built their new house. Their youngest daughter was born several years later. Ed and Millie lived in that home the rest of their lives.
Nana had many talents. She loved to bake treats for her family, including delicious fruit pies or creamy rice. I collected many of her recipes in a family cookbook. In the 1970’s, she and her daughters took ceramics classes and made all kinds of figurines and holiday décor. She also made porcelain dolls, painting their faces and making their dresses. She was a talented seamstress, making my mom’s wedding dress, pioneer dresses for the local Pioneer Day, and curtains and other décor for her house. During the summer months, she tended to her flower garden. Nana worked for many years at Automatic Electric in Genoa, retiring in 1989. She and Papa were active members of the Methodist Church in Genoa, and the Ney Grange.
Family was very important to Nana and Papa, and I was fortunate to spend many years with them. Nana loved spending time with her grandchildren and hearing their stories. She and Papa would attend our swim meets, volleyball games, plays and concerts whenever they could. When we’d do something well, we’d earn an invisible but valuable “gold star” from her. She shared her recipes with us, and taught me how to make the perfect pie crust. She supported the family’s hobby business, which was making baskets and selling them at local craft shows. In her final years, she really enjoyed chocolate custard from Ollie’s, a local frozen custard shop.
In 2015, even though she was declining in health, she was determined to attend my wedding, and she did! She spent the day with the biggest smile on her face, and enjoyed at least four pieces of wedding cake! It was so special to share that day with her. She passed away a month later, on July 21, 2015. Today we’re celebrating what would have been her 100th birthday, and remembering her smile, gentle laugh, her kind heart, and generous soul. We miss you Nana!
The Family History Librarian 