Mildred "Milly" Alice Hunt Porter

Mom’s Obit

Mildred Hunt Porter

Christian, wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, all of Bruneau’s grandmother, friend, poet, writer, author, our matriarch, what a lovely ride.

“When the great grand children ask, “What was it like when you were a little girl?” It’s not easy to answer. Not because I do not remember, but it is difficult to find the words to describe my childhood world, so different from their world today.

I usually begin by saying I was born in April 1929. That was the year the Great Depression began. Almost everyone in the world felt the effects of those lean years. I was a young teenager during a major world war. Those two words “World War” impacted nearly everyone’s lives in almost every way one could imagine; from the daily news headlines to the gas ration stamps. The war was a twenty-four hour, around the clock reality.”

At 2:37 a.m. June 1st 2026, in West Valley Medical Center, Caldwell, Idaho, Mildred (Milly) Alice Randall Hunt Porter took her first step into eternity. Her mind was always sharp and creative, all the way to the end where she demonstrated some sharp, quick responses to the family gathered around her bed. As the crowd left her room she wondered where everyone had gone. Will told her, “Home for dinner, it’s like when the band would take a break.” She looked up at us and said, “Pass the hat.”

Milly was the third child of George and Ruth Black Randall, born April 14, 1929 at Grandma Sylvia’s house on Bell Street in Bruneau, Idaho. They named her Mildred Alice after local school teacher Miss Millie Black, but opted to spell it “Milly”.

“Did the Depression deprive us of food, clothing, housing, companionship, education, entertainment or any other real or imagined life necessity? Not hardly! Our grandparents were first generation pioneers who had survived and thrived in the valley and taught their children well.”

The Greyson place, in Little Valley, was part of the original property Grandpa Fet and Grandma Sylvia Black owned and where most of Milly’s growing up years were spent. We are blessed with stories she’s shared of her life in Little Valley and Bruneau with her Lahtinen cousins and community. She attended school in Bruneau and graduated with the class of 1945/46. Bruneau Rural High School offered a Journalism Class, publishing a “pretty serious project” the Bruneau Bobcat of which Milly was an active contributor.

Milly was an active member and involved in the communities she lived in; PTA, 4-H, FFA, Ladies Aid, Booster Club, bible studies, etc. She felt strongly about people coming together and sharing their lives, so that the communities they lived in would be strong and healthy.

“August 14th, 1945, V-J Day. There were no strangers. And into my world came the boy from the neighboring town of Mountain Home. I knew his name, (Ray Hunt). He had asked a mutual friend to introduce us in July at a dance in Grandview. I knew a lot more about Ray after that night, but I still didn’t know how old he was, I found that out the next month when he casually mentioned he was my same age. (He had turned 16 the 31st of August).”

On Christmas Day, 1948 at George and Ruth Randalls’ home in Little Valley, Idaho, Owyhee County, Mildred Alice Randall and Raymond Junior Hunt were married. To this union were born 4 children, Geri, Joel, Kathy and Elaine. During the years of marriage to Ray they lived and worked on various cattle and horse facilities. She took night classes towards an associate’s degree; substitute taught school, worked at the cannery at night in the fall, (So Santa could make his delivery Christmas morning), cooked for crews and supported wherever was needed. While living at the Horseshoe Ranch, Beowawe, Nevada she fed two different crews, three meals each day. Whenever possible she would go dance in Elko, getting home just in time to start the breakfast run.

On August 3, 1979 Milly and George Porter were married in Lamoille, Nevada, Elko County and Milly added his 2 sons Tom and Gary and a daughter Kathy to her family. They lived in California until 1997 then the couple moved back to Bruneau, Idaho. After almost 50 years, “It was like I stepped out on my left foot and just stepped back in on my right.” She was home. She never met an idea she couldn’t bring to fruition… “It’s doable” and it was with that mindset to life, that she created Give-It-A-Go Books. She wrote and published two horsemanship books, two poetry books, one novel and other creative writings. Even to this day, she was working on a children’s book. She and George traveled with their book booth to different venues including fairs, rodeos and equine events.

Milly loved finding opportunities to meet family along the way, whether at a sale yard or over a meal in a small-town diner, where she rarely rushed through a meal, which made time for meaningful conversations with those she cared for, including “pearls of wisdom” and what the family called “the world according to Milly.” Milly loved flowers, always adding places in her yard where company could sit and relax. She also liked to go! She faithfully attended church and tried to attend family milestones and community events.

One day at a time. For 97 years she wrote. For 97 years, even with all her moves, she never lost or abandoned anyone.

She loved life and all of its seasons. Always ready for a party or gathering with her raspberry, pretzel salad.

Milly was preceded in death by both parents; 2 brothers, Darrell and Owen; 1 sister Arden Randall Thomas; by her first marriage Ray Hunt; by her husband George Porter; son-in-law Bill Van Norman; grandson Troy Van Norman; great-grandson Charlie (Chas) Van Norman; daughter-in-law Paula Carter Hunt; son Tom Porter. She is survived by her two sons: Joel Hunt of Monterey, CA, Amy­­­­­­­­­­ Chamberlain, Reno, NV; Gary and wife Judy of Bristow, OK; four daughters Geri Van Norman of Tuscarora, NV; Kathy Hunt of King City, CA, Randy Leighton, Stevenson CA; Elaine Black of Caldwell, ID; Martin Black, Grandview, ID; Kathy Riva Croucher of Glendive, MT; cousin David and wife Barbara Lahtinen, Little Valley, ID; sister-in-law Rose Hunt Boise, ID, sister-in-law Karma and husband Bob LeMaster, Meridian, ID; 21 grandchildren: 28 great-grandchildren; numerous cousins, nieces and nephews.

Mark 12:30-31. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater then these.

Of all the words I’ve tried to find to sum up Mom’s life, these living words are the ones that fit, this is who she was. If we had a way to stack up all the cards and calls she’s made to family and friends over the years, I’m sure they’d reach heaven, because that’s where the desire to reach out to others started, from the Lord her God. To say she’ll be missed is an understatement to say we were all well-loved is the gift she gave us.

“August 14, 1945 brought one more big abrupt change to my world. With the same sense of surrealness as it began, it stopped. The all consuming reality of World War II became V-J Day. Everyone did their evening chores early and rushed into town to laugh and cry with their friends and neighbors. Folks who hadn’t laughed in months were grinning from ear to ear. Folks who wouldn’t let themselves cry for months were shamelessly weeping. It was time for celebrating; time to strike up the band, (and a band was recruited), time for food and drink, (it came from everywhere), time for dancing” ….on June 1, 2026 at 2:37 a.m., Mom stepped into eternity and danced.

Flowers can be sent to Rost Funeral Home, 500 N 18th E, Mountain Home, ID 83647

In Lieu of flowers, donations can be made to:

Bruneau Community Church or Bruneau Ladies Aid PO Box 664 Bruneau

Bruneau Booster Club PO Box 604, Bruneau

American Legion Post #83 PO Box 582 Bruneau

Bruneau Quick Response Unit PO Box 294 Bruneau