George’s Obituary George Otto Millward, Jr., 78, of Chesterfield passed away on Thursday, February 21, 2019. George was born on November 1, 1940, along with his fraternal twin brother, Michael, in the Kelly area of Chesterfield, Idaho, to George Otto and Elsie Leneita Millward. The twins were the youngest of five children, with older siblings Joyce, Charles K, and Wayne.
He grew up in Chesterfield, where his parents ran a dairy farm. He enjoyed participating in rodeos and rode bulls during his teenage and young adult years. He attended Pocatello High School and North Gem High School in Bancroft, graduating in 1959.
He entered the Air Force later that year, where he served in Okinawa as an airplane mechanic for four years. He married Madaline Krska in 1962 (later divorced), and their daughter Michelle was born in 1963. He married Janice Wann in 1973, and the two were married for nearly 46 years.
Their daughter Monica was born in 1974, and Nicole was born in 1977. After George’s military service, he worked in the electronics industry for Motorola, and later managed several stores for Tandy Leather and The Leather Factory. Over the years George’s career took him, Jan, and the family to Arizona, Oklahoma, Texas, and Utah.
After their children were grown, in 1996 George and Jan moved to George’s childhood home in Chesterfield. They restored the farmhouse George was born in and lived there for many years before moving to an adjacent house on the family farm property. George was a custom boot maker who crafted beautiful cowboy boots by hand, a craft he practiced since 1980.
He donated several pairs of his custom boots to various school and community fundraising efforts over the years. For many years he donated boots to the Idaho State School Board Association for their fundraising auctions, raising thousands of dollars in scholarship funds. He made countless pairs for family members and friends over the years.
He also loved showing off his handiwork—he enjoyed a trip to the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, where he wore his American flag boots and enjoyed having his photo taken by many international tourists. George also loved a good sports rivalry and enjoyed stirring up the Utah sports fans by simultaneously wearing a red University of Utah boot on one foot and a blue BYU boot on the other. He crafted his artwork in the Cowboy Boots by George “boot barn,” located in the original family dairy barn at his Chesterfield farm.
George loved the community he grew up in, and he served it faithfully. George was an active member of the North Gem School Board for eighteen years and served as its chairman. He was also a huge fan of North Gem sports and rarely missed a game.
One of the highlights of his last hospital stay was a visit from the North Gem varsity basketball team, on their way to district finals. Along with his brother-in-law Gaylon Jorgensen, George helped to create, organize, and operate the Bancroft Pioneer Day 5K race for many years. George also continued to pursue his lifelong passion for rodeo by acting as official timekeeper for the Bancroft Pioneer Day Rodeo for several years.
George served on the Caribou Soil Conservation District board for more than eighteen years. He was also a member of the Bancroft/Chesterfield Cemetery Board. He was a faithful member of the LDS Church.
George was preceded in death by his parents Otto and Elsie Millward, his sister, Joyce, and his brothers Charles K and Wayne. He is survived by his wife, Janice, his daughters Michelle (Jeff), Monica (Jacob), and Nicole (Joss), and grandchildren Alexis, Jared, Kekoa, Isaac, Kamaka, and Kai, as well as his brother Michael. He adored his family and was an active and loving part of their lives, and he was an “honorary” dad, grandfather, uncle, and brother to many others.
A visitation for family and friends will be held on Thursday, February 28, from 6-7 p.m. at Sims Funeral Home, 139 East 2nd South in Soda Springs. Funeral services will be held on Friday, March 1, at noon in the Chesterfield LDS Ward, 1001 E. Stalker Rd. in Bancroft, with a visitation held one hour prior to the service.
Graveside services will be announced at a future date.
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