Mildred "Millie" (Rathjen) Cole

Mildred “Millie” Cole, 77, of rural Hazen, North Dakota, passed away peacefully at her home surrounded by family on Thursday, May 28, 2026.

Millie was born on September 29, 1948, to Elsie and Clarence Rathjen on the family farm north of Hazen. The only girl among five brothers, she lived an adventurous childhood filled with stories she loved to tell. Raised in the Lutheran faith, she was confirmed at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church and later ensured her own daughters attended Sunday School and completed confirmation. She attended school in Stanton and Hazen, graduating from Hazen High School.

On October 11, 1974, Millie married the love of her life, John Cole, at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church. Together they built a home with great pride in rural Hazen and raised two daughters, Michelle “Shelly” Galster (Rathjen) and Shawna Cole. Early in their marriage, they lived in Du Quoin, Illinois, while John served in the National Guard. They later returned to North Dakota, where Millie was a dedicated worker who spent many years as a waitress and in Environmental Services at both Dakota Gasification Company and Sakakawea Medical Center.

Millie found great joy in tending her flowers, reading, decorating her home, making sausage, cooking traditional German food, canning, and listening & dancing with John to 50’s-60’s music. She also enjoyed watching heartfelt shows and possessed a wonderfully stubborn streak. She had a knack for teasing John just enough to make them both laugh. As her eldest brother Myron reminds us,”Millie's life and personality will be remembered by all who knew and loved her. Her ‘Spirit’ will go on in her family's memories as well as everyone who called her ‘friend’ for as long as our lives exist!”

She is survived by her husband of 51 years, John Cole; her daughters, Shelly (Richard) Galster of Fargo, ND, and Shawna Cole (Jamie Gibbins) of Bismarck, ND; four grandchildren, Mckenzie (Taylor) Hill of Fargo, ND, Alyssa (Yuji) Suzuki of Beaverton, OR, Cole J. Cole of Bismarck, ND, and Willow Eckroth of Bismarck, ND; two great-grandchildren, Harlow and Hadley Hill of Fargo, ND; her brothers Myron (Laurel) Rathjen of Beulah, Melvin (Tena) Rathjen, Maynard (Val) Rathjen, Mark (Wendy) and Mylo, all of Hazen; sister-in-law Sharon Snustad and sister-in-law Diane Young, brothers-in-law Dennis (Marsha) Cole and Donald (Susie) Cole, all of Du Quoin Ilinois; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Millie was preceded in death by her parents, Elsie and Clarence Rathjen, and her parents-in-law, Catherine and Wesley Cole.

Services will be held at a later date with burial to follow at St. Paul’s Lutheran Cemetery, rural Hazen. Arrangements are entrusted to Barbot Funeral Home, Beulah and Hazen.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials be directed to Sakakawea Hospice. The family is greatly appreciative of the compassionate care provided by Sakakawea Hospice and could not have gone through this without their loving support.

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