Dr. Mildred Carlson Obituary

Dr. Mildred Virginia Carlson, 97, passed away on July 26, 2024, in Clive, Iowa. She was born October 22, 1926, in Arthur, Iowa to Andrew Gustaf and Alina Maria (Sjorlund) Carlson.

Mildred had two older brothers, Clarence and William. Her father, Andrew, was a Swedish immigrant and her mother, Alina, was a Finnish immigrant. At age 4, she started going to a one-room school with her brothers, riding in a buggy pulled by a pony. The family eventually moved to a farm near Odebolt. Taking lunch and water to the field workers and tending the garden were Mildred’s main responsibilities.

In 1943, Mildred graduated from Odebolt-Arthur High School and then attended the Electronic Radio Telegraph Institute in Omaha, Nebraska, to learn Morse code and railroading telegraphy. At 17, she became a telegraph operator for the Illinois Central Railroad (ICRR). She received orders transmitted from central dispatch in Morse code, translated them and passed the orders along to the train engineers. During WWII, Mildred also had to deliver telegrams to families of fallen soldiers. Mildred retired from the ICRR after 22 years of employment and went back to school. She graduated summa-cum laude in 1965 from the State College of Iowa (now University of Northern Iowa) in Cedar Falls, with a B.A. major in Chemistry and minor in Mathematics. In 1970, she earned her Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis with a major in Biochemistry and minor in Organic Chemistry. Mildred was a member of Sigma Xi, American Chemical Society, American Association for the Advancement of Science, Sigma Delta Epsilon (Graduate Women in Science), Iota Sigma Pi (National Chemical Honor Society for Women), and the National Science Teachers Association. She was a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) woman before it was a thing.

Mildred spent many years as a professor, first at Russell Sage College in Troy, New York, where she taught chemistry to nursing and chemistry majors. She began the school’s biochemistry class for nursing students. She moved back to Iowa in 1976 and began teaching Biochemistry at the College of Osteopathic Medicine (now Des Moines University) and retired in 1992.

Mildred enjoyed traveling. Along with her sister-in-law, Audrey, she traveled to Alaska. With her other sister-in-law, Stella, she visited family in Sweden and Finland. She also enjoyed a trip to the Holy Land. California, Kentucky and Minnesota were destinations to visit nieces and nephews. She spent time with many friends, eating out and playing bridge. Her home was shared with several cats, in particular, CoCo, whom she adored. And she was a fan of the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Minnesota Gophers.

Mildred was a long-time member of Olivet Baptist Church in Windsor Heights and later Urbandale. She held numerous leadership and service roles and also conducted Bible study. She was a role model for leading a Christian life, as well as being a strong, independent woman and was loved by many.

Mildred is survived by her nephew, Paul (Pam) Carlson; nieces, Kay (John) Watson, Lola (Peter) Latuff, Zoma (Steve) Olson, Lorraine (Steve) Heitel, Adele (Jim) Madera; 7 great nephews, 2 great nieces; and 3 great-great nephews. She is preceded in death by her parents; brothers, Clarence Gustaf Carlson and William Carl Arthur Carlson; niece, Clare Quinn and nephew, Andrew Carlson.

Visitation will be at 3 PM Saturday, September 21 at Iles Westover Chapel, 6337 Hickman Road, followed by a Celebration of Life service at 4 PM. The service will be live streamed on www.ilesCares.com. Burial will follow at 1 PM Sunday, September 22, 2024, at Odebolt Cemetery, Odebolt, Iowa.

Memorials may be directed to Hope Ministries (https://www.hopeiowa.org/) or Many Hands for Haiti (https://www.mh4h.org/).

Arrangements by Iles Westover Chapel.

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