Mildred Rodriguez

Dr. Mildred Shepherd Rodriguez (known to friends as Millie) died in Stillwater, Oklahoma on September 5th, 2017.

A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, October 28, 2017 at 3:30pm at the Palmer Marler Funeral Home Chapel. Inurnment will follow at the Sumner Cemetery.

Millie was born in 1923 in Sterling Oklahoma to Pearl and Jack Shepherd.  She grew up on a farm 8 miles outside of Perry, attended the local Sumner schools and graduated from OSU in 1943.  She married Mario Rodriguez in 1943 and returned to Oklahoma during the War. In 1945 she gave birth to her only child, Jacqueline. After WWII the little family moved to Berkeley California where Mario received in PhD in Latin American history.

Valerie was the daughter of Jacqueline and Wayne Mattice and the only surviving grandchild of Millie. Valerie Tesmer had two sons, Alex and Andrew who remember many trips with their Nana. Millie did love to travel.

As a dietician she worked in the many states including Louisiana, Connecticut, and California.  In 1969 she received her PhD in nutrition from the University of Arizona in Tucson.  Subsequently, she taught and did research at Cal (California) State at Long Beach.  Going to Nutrition conventions and keeping up with the research continued to be a favorite pastime up until her demise.

In 2005 Mario died and in 2008 she returned to her favorite town of Stillwater, Oklahoma.  She treasured her OSU University connections and friends in the town of her Alma Mater. 

In lieu of flowers, contribute to your favorite charity. Arrangements are under the care of Palmer Marler Funeral Home.