Mildred Pearl Ast

Mildred Pearl Lowry Ast of Lincoln Township died Sunday morning at Lakeland Hospital in St. Joseph, surrounded by members of her family. She was 92 years old. Visitation will be from 5-8 P.M. Thursday at Starks & Menchinger Family Funeral Home at 2650 Niles Rd., St. Joseph. The funeral service will be held at 10 AM. Friday at Stevensville United Methodist Church with the Rev. B. Gordon Barry officiating. Burial will follow at Lincoln Township Cemetery in Stevensville. Memorials may be made to the Multiple Sclerosis Society. Those wishing to share a condolence online may do so at www.starks-menchinger.com. Mildred was a long-time teacher, teaching mostly at Lakeshore’s Hollywood Elementary School. Many of her former students still speak fondly of her, especially remembering her reading “Little House” books to them. She remained active after retirement in education and alumna societies until shortly before her death. She was a member of Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, Alpha Beta Epsilon, the Lydia Circle of her church and Berrien County Association of Retired School Personnel. Mildred Lowry was born on June 8, 1916, in Jonesburg, MO, the daughter of Cleveland and Elsie Bentley Lowry. She married William F. Ast, Jr. at Trinity Lutheran Church in St. Joseph on Sept. 15, 1934. The couple first lived in Hyde Park, Chicago, before moving to Lincoln Township. She graduated from Stevensville High School in 1934, where she was a star basketball player. She received her teaching certificate from Berrien County Normal and bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Western Michigan University, graduating summa cum laude. Mildred is survived by two sisters, Daisy Brannick of Lincoln Township and Patsy Trux of Benton Township; her children, Judith (Jan) Brunvand of Salt Lake City, Utah, Janet M. Ast of St. Joseph, Viola (Ron) Nielsen of Stevensville, and William (Nancy) Ast III of St. Joseph; nine grandchildren, Dr. Erik (Sandy) Brunvand, Amy Brunvand, and Dana (Jeff) Williams, all of Salt Lake City, Karen (Scott) Brunvand of Price, Utah, Carrie (Sang) Quinn of Altadena, Calif., Michelle Nielsen of Baroda, Nari (Dale) Nielsen Beeney of St. Joseph, Elizabeth (Anderson) Bortoletto of St. Joseph, and Dr. Jennifer (Joseph) Ast of Uppsala, Sweden; and 10 great-grandchildren (with and 11th on the way). Her husband, William F. Ast, Jr., preceded her in death on May 14, 2004. An infant brother, Hollis Murray, also preceded her in death.