Millie Motika Arden
In Memoriam
Notes
Millie Motika Arden, a longtime resident of Gillespie, Illinois, passed away on August 18, 2026, at the Gillespie Health and Rehab Center. She was ninety-four years old. Born on 04 January 1932, in Benld, she was the daughter of Peter Motika and Paraska "Pearl" Cuca Motika.
Millie held a series of clerical positions that spanned over three decades. She was employed for three years as a clerk at St. Francis Hospital, followed by seventeen years at Illinois Power, and concluded her career with fourteen years at Echlin. Through these roles she contributed to some of the region's key institutions in healthcare, utilities, and manufacturing.
On August 1, 1959, Millie married Harry G. Arden at Holy Dormition Orthodox Church in Benld — the same parish in which she had been raised and where she remained a member throughout her life. Harry, an electrical engineer and Army veteran whose own connection to the same parish ran deep, predeceased her on July 6, 2022, after sixty-three years of marriage.
Millie was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; her brothers Paul, Frank, and Peter Motika; her sisters Julia Katrenich, Mary Redeffer, Olga Massa, Anastasia Dunmire, and Ann Stengel; and two sisters who died in childhood. She was survived by several nieces and nephews.
Funeral services were held on Saturday, August 22, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. at Kravanya Funeral Home in Gillespie. Burial followed at Holy Dormition Cemetery in Benld.
Memory Eternal — вѣ́чнаѧ па́мѧть
Basic Information
| Full Name: | Arden, Millie |
| Birth Date: | 04 January 1932 |
| Death Date: | 18 August 2026 |
| Baptism Year: At the Holy Dormition Church in Benld. In this Orthodox context, typically for an infant the sacrament of Baptism will be followed on the same day by the sacrament of Chrismation, and most often on, also on the same day, the "first communion" (Eucharist) at the Divine Liturgy. | 1932 |
| Notes: | Baptism and Chrismation as "Melania Motika" at the Holy Dormition Church, Benld, IL |
| Marriage Date: | 01 August 1959 |
| Marriage Place: | Holy Dormition Church, Benld, IL |
| Place of Death: | Gillespie, IL |
| Service Place: | Kravanya Funeral Home, Gillespie, IL |
| Service Date: In this Orthodox context, most commonly the Service listed here would be a funeral service, which typically occurs in church, and is followed on the same day by the burial service that occurs at the grave site. In some cases, this term 'Service' might refer more generally to a memorial service. | 22 August 2026 |
| Burial Place: | Holy Dormition Cemetery, Benld, IL |
| Burial Date: | August 2026 |
The above information originates from historical/archival content, and is published for memorial and preservation purposes.
Photos of cemetery stones can be found here, or specifically in the Holy Dormition cemetery here.