[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 43 (Wednesday, March 31, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E495]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      HONORING MILDRED WALLHAUSEN

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JO ANN EMERSON

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 31, 2004

  Mrs. EMERSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the accomplishments 
of Mildred Wallhausen, a great Missourian, a great American, and a 
great friend of mine. Millie is more than a hero to the many men and 
women whose lives she has touched--she is a mentor. I and many others 
owe Millie a tremendous debt of gratitude for her selfless service.
  Millie will turn 90 on April 3, 2004. For the great majority of her 
90 years, she has participated in the public life of my congressional 
district. For 68 of her 90 years, Millie has been a member of the 
newspaper staff of the Charleston Enterprise-Courier. She and her 
family have published the paper since her husband's death in 1969.
  Over the years, Millie has served as reporter, photographer, 
editorialist, bookkeeper, file clerk, advertising salesperson, and 
editor in addition to her long service as publisher. She is a member of 
the Missouri Press Association Hall of Fame.
  Millie cannot be defined in terms of the titles she has held at the 
newspaper, however. She has been a pillar of her community. Serving on 
nearly every committee in the community and encouraging participation 
in public affairs are just the start. After the death of her husband, 
Millie adopted three young women, wards of the juvenile court, and 
provided a stable home environment for them. Millie knew firsthand the 
value of an adult role model to these girls, she herself was orphaned 
at the age of 4.
  Among her other civic activities, Millie has served as president of 
the PTA and two women's federated clubs, as a member of the State 
Mental Health Task Force, and as a Sunday School teacher at various 
churches in the communities in which she has lived. Even at the age of 
90, Millie is still an active member of the Boards of the Mississippi 
County Community Sheltered Workshop and the East Prairie Housing 
Authority.
  Not only has Mildred Wallhausen changed our communities, she has 
forever changed the lives of the people who call them home. She has 
always looked upon her responsibilities at her newspaper as a form of 
public service. As a personal hero of mine, she has shown uncommon 
strength in her desire to both do good through her own actions and 
communicate good through her work. She is an invaluable servant of our 
Nation, and she is an example for women everywhere.
  Congratulations Millie, on your 90th birthday, and thank you for your 
guidance and kindness to me, your community, State, and Nation.

                          ____________________