Amelia Caussyn

Amelia “Millie” Caussyn, age 87, passed to heaven on November 24, 2020 after complications from a fall.

A funeral service will be held at 10:30 AM on Tuesday, December 1, 2020 at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Mandan, with Fr. Josh Waltz celebrating.  Burial will follow at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery.

Visitation will be held from 5 to 7 PM on Monday, November 30, 2020 at Buehler-Larson Funeral Home, Mandan, with a Catholic Daughters Rosary at 7 pm.

Millie was born April 18, 1933 in Raleigh, ND to Walter and Allie Schmidt. The family moved to Bismarck in 1943 and Millie graduated high school in 1951.  She worked as a switch board operator for NW Bell and attended Wahpeton State School of Science where she obtained her LPN license in 1955.  There she met George Caussyn and they were married on July 2, 1956.  They settled in Noonan, ND and Millie worked at the Good Samaritan Center.  The backyard became the neighborhood hangout and there quickly became a permanent path where a baseball/kickball field emerged, as well as a playhouse/fort/sandbox, and swingset/monkeybars all somehow filling the space.  In 1970 George, Millie, and 3 kids moved to Center when George transferred with BNI.  The backyard tradition continued, and snacks were always available for anyone in the neighborhood.  Small town living meant being at all the kids school events and they were very involved in all their schooling and sports activities.  Millie worked for many years at the grocery store in town and was very involved in community and their church.  Millie wanted very much to maintain her nursing license and so continued her education taking classes and becoming very involved getting Ambulance Services initiated in Center. Both George and Millie served on the Volunteer Ambulance squad for many years.  When they moved to Mandan, they found a home right across the street from the Mandan Long Term Care facility, and Millie continued her nursing career working there for many years. She retired when it was necessary to take care of George who became disabled, as well as her mother when she became ill. She was very active with St Joe’s Church and was active in Catholic Daughters for many years.  When her health started failing she spent several years in Assisted Living, then Miller Pointe.  In both places she was extremely active and never missed being involved in whatever activity was taking place at the moment.  When a wheelchair became necessary, she became very skilled at racing her wheelchair wherever she needed to go.  As a retired nurse she also became very skilled at learning how to transfer herself (against the rules) and disabling the alarms staff tried to place on her bed and chairs. She was fiercely independent, and Staff and family could not help but smile at her spunky disposition.  She loved life and was able to make friends wherever she was. We will all miss the twinkle in her eye and her positive outlook on life.

Millie is survived by her children, Richard (Rick) Caussyn, Linda (Bryan) Salem, and Julie (Ricky) Hohbein; grandchildren, Chad, Brett, and Dylan;  step-grandchildren, Derrick and Mitch Hohbein and their families; brother-in-laws, William (Bill) Wittig, Duane Caussyn, and Frances Caussyn; sister-in-law, Joan Caussyn; and several nieces and nephews.

Millie was preceded in death by her husband, George; her parents; siblings,Marjory Schmidt, Albon Schmidt, and Dorothy Wittig; sister-in-law, Elaine Caussyn; nephew, James Wittig; and great-nephew, Lucas Rainforth.