Mildred “Millie” Gauchet, 96, died February 20, 2026 in Florida.

Mass of Christian Burial is 11:00 Tuesday, March 24 at St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Bellwood. There will be a Rosary prior to mass at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday morning, all at Church. Interment will be in St. Mary’s and St. Peter’s Catholic Cemetery in rural Bellwood.

Mildred (Rerucha) Collins Gauchet was born on June 30, 1929 on a farm in the Appleton area of Butler County, Nebraska to Mildred (Nekl) and Anton Rerucha and died on February 20, 2026 in Longwood, Florida. Known to many as Aunt Mille she lived a long, adventurous and vivacious life. She loved to travel and to party.

She began life at the beginning of the depression without all the comforts of modern life. She started school in a one room schoolhouse district 22 west of Rising City. The family moved to the Bellwood area in 1942 and she graduated from Bellwood High School in 1947. Millie excelled in shorthand, no one could take and transcribe shorthand faster and better than Millie. As a young woman she longed to become an airline Flight Attendant but was declined due to an eyesight problem. After high school she was employed as a secretary for firms in Omaha and then moved to Denver, Colorado in 1952 again working as a secretary. She became an avid golfer and learned to ski. She loved the mountains.

On March 3, 1962 she married George Collins and they moved to California. She was employed in the Aerospace Industry earning the highest government security clearance awarded to female employees. She and George became active in Antique Car Clubs. In 1985 they moved to Florida. In Florida she was employed at Disneyworld and then in the Aerospace Industry. George passed away on July 16, 2000.

On March 31, 2005 Mildred married Richard (Dick) Gauchet in Winter Spring, Florida. Again they were active in Antique Car Clubs and travelled extensively. They moved to Assisted Living in 2021. Dick died in June of 2025.

Mildred was preceded in death by her two husbands, her parents, brothers Gilbert (Loris) and Anthony Rerucha, sisters Helen (Everette) Hough, Mary Ann (Jim) Keil and two nephews Ron and Allyn Rerucha.

She is survived by sisters Rose Rerucha, Jean (Richard) Heckart, and Lucille Svoboda, sister-in-law Clarice Lake, 12 nieces and nephews, and many great and grand nieces and nephews. Three step children Dan Gauchet, Debbie Warda and Diana Kaminski and their families.