Mildred Loretta (Evenson) Brillinger, 80 of Noblesville, Indiana, was called home by her Savior, Jesus, on December 12, 2013. She was enjoying a cup of tea and a cookie in her favorite chair when the Lord peacefully called her home. Mildred was born July 30, 1933, in her grandmother's house in Elmore, Minnesota. Her loving parents, Edven and Annie (O'Toole) Evenson, raised her in southern Minnesota. Mildred was baptized as a Child of God on November 10, 1933. She got up to take care of the chickens before school every day on their farm in Minnesota Lake. Mildred and her siblings attended the District 74 Country School. She was confirmed in the Lutheran faith in 1947. In May of 1950, at the tender age of 16, Mildred graduated from Minnesota Lake High School. In August, at the very young age of 17, she moved to Mankato, Minnesota, to attend Bethany College. Mildred graduated with a teaching degree in 1952, and spent two years teaching, before continuing her education at Valparaiso University, in Valparaiso, Indiana. Mildred graduated in 1956 as a Deaconess in the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. Her first call was to St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Worthington, Minnesota. Through the years Mildred has served in many different Deaconess ministries including Lutheran Homes Nursing Home in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Lutheran Social Services in Detroit, Michigan, and St. John Lutheran School in Lincoln, Texas. She also had many other jobs through the years of a temporary nature, such as substitute teacher and temporary office worker. Mildred's main vocation in her life as a Child of God was as a wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, and friend. She married the love of her life, Otto Arnold Brillinger on August 6, 1960. Their marriage was blessed with four children. She and Otto enjoyed serving their Lord together in many different places through the years. Millie helped Otto graduate from Concordia Theological Seminary at Springfield, Illinois, in 1964. Through the years the couple served churches in Canada at Calgary, Alberta and Tavestock, New Hamburg and Kingsville, Ontario, and the United States cities of Decatur, Indiana; where he pastored at Zion Lutheran Church, Friedheim and Immanuel Lutheran Church in Union Township; Chicago, Illinois, Houston, Texas, Good Harbor and Glen Arbor, Michigan, and Copperas Cove, Texas. Since 1993 Millie has helped the Brillinger Mission in Kazakhstan, Lithuania, and Spain. She enjoyed traveling along with Otto until her health did not permit it. Even on the day she was called to heaven she was working on the business end of the Brillinger Mission. Her delight was serving the Lord by assisting her husband work in the mission field. Through the years Millie taught Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, and Children's Missionary League. She also served in many roles in the LWML through the years at all of their churches. Millie was still helping plan retreats and service activities for the ladies at their church, Christ Lutheran in Noblesville. Millie enjoyed spending time with her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchild. She was looking forward to the birth of two more great-grandchildren in 2014. She will be lovingly remembered and sadly missed by her beloved husband, The Rev. Otto A. Brillinger; children and their spouses, Catherine and the Rev. Timothy J. Carr of Toledo, Ohio, and Daniel and Anita Brillinger of Noblesville; grandchildren, Eric and Nora Carr of Davenport, Iowa, and their son, Ronan, Ana (Carr) Deal a student at Ivy Tech and her husband Jacob, a 2nd year student at Concordia Theological Seminary- Fort Wayne, Indiana, Michael Carr, a third year student at Concordia University-Ann Arbor, Michigan, Alexander Carr age 10, at home with his parents in Toledo, and Cecelia, Clarissa, and Serena Brillinger. The Brillinger girls have grown up seeing Grandma almost every day of their lives. She was a very important part of their family. Also surviving are a sister, Dorthy; brothers, DuWayne and Don; nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives and friends all over the world. Millie was preceded in death by two children, a very young baby, who died before growing to full term, and a daughter, Carol Ann, who died right before birth on December 23, 1963. Also preceding her in death were her parents and a brother, Robert Evenson. The family will receive relatives and friends at Christ Lutheran Church, 10055 E 186th St., Noblesville, from 2:00 until 6:00 p.m. Sunday, December 15, 2013, and from 10:00 until 10:45 a.m. Monday, December 16, 2013. A Service of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 a.m. Monday, in the Church with the the Rev. Adrian Piazza, Liturgist, Seminarian Jacob Deal, Lector and the Rev. Timothy Carr, Homilist officiating. Burial will follow at Crownland Cemetery in Noblesville. In lieu of other expressions of sympathy, memorials are appreciated to Immanuel Brillinger Mission Fund and Concordia Theological Seminary Brillinger Endowment Fund. Condolences may be expressed and a photo tribute viewed at www.schultzfuneralhomes.com. Soli Deo Gloria! Memorials can be obtained through Zwick & Jahn Funeral Home in Decatur.
