Lynda Sue Mills, 71, died Saturday, July 16, at her home in Warrensburg, Missouri, after a three-year battle with a rare autoimmune disease.

Memorial services are scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Thursday, July 21, at First United Methodist Church of Warrensburg with the Rev. Louie Lowe and the Rev. Jackson Short officiating. All are welcome to attend and celebrate her life. Interment will be at a later date in Neosho IOOF Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, July 20, at Sweeney-Phillips & Holdren Funeral Home in Warrensburg.
Lynda is survived by her husband of 49 years, Steve Mills; daughter, Sarah K. Peel, of Warrensburg; and daughter, Mindy M. Limback, and her husband, Derek, of Rolla, Missouri; two siblings, Chris Logan, and her husband, Dan, of Palo Alto, California; and Tom Austin and his wife, Lora, of Neosho, Missouri; and four grandchildren.
Lynda was born on May 11, 1945, in Neosho, the oldest daughter of Joe and Nellie (Herron) Austin. She graduated from Neosho High School in 1963 and earned a degree in home economics education from Missouri State University in May 1967. That same year she married Steve Mills, her high school sweetheart, and moved to Urbana, Illinois, where she began working for Deland Weldon School as an elementary teacher. After helping Steve through the completion of his doctorate, they moved to Columbia, Missouri, for two years where he did his post-doctoral work and she expanded her sewing skills and tended to their garden.
The couple purchased a farm in Warrensburg in 1972. As the daughters grew, Lynda became involved with the Missouri Extension Council, the Good Neighbors 4-H Club and Warrensburg Band Boosters program. She also joined the Johnson County Fair Board and was instrumental in the establishment of the fairgrounds. She was an accomplished cook and shared those talents with the First United Methodist Church, where she was a longtime member, as well as kitchen and programming coordinator. She retired early when Steve retired early to have time for family and travel. After joining the Jamaica Medical Mission in 2001, she didn’t miss an opportunity for planning, travel or a chance to recruit others to the team.
A skilled seamstress and knitter, she was a compassionate individual who loved volunteering, spending time at the lake and watching for hummingbirds, blue herons and other birds. She was an active and dedicated member of Valley Homemakers Neighborhood Club. Her children remember her as a devoted and loving mother who encouraged them to pursue their goals.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are suggested to the First United Church Jamaica Medical Fund and can be left in care of the funeral home.