Clarice Marlene (Ritter) Mills, with her family by her side, passed away on Monday, December 22, 2025. She was 83 years old.
Clarice was born on January 31, 1942 to Clarence and Pauline Ritter. She graduated from Alliance High School in 1960 and attended Duchesne School of Nursing for one year before moving home to marry Gary “Bud” Mills. This union lasted 62 wonderful years until Bud’s passing in 2023.
Alliance was home to Clarice and Bud, where they raised three boys, Tim, Scott, and Jeff. Clarice’s boys were her greatest love and adventure; she rarely missed a baseball, football, or basketball game throughout their years growing up. As a proud mom, she would cheer at the games, often letting officials (and opposing team members) know if a call or play was not to her liking. As a family, they enjoyed many family camping and fishing trips, as well as long car trips to the east and west coasts to visit family and friends. Many trips included their kids’ friends, who were always welcome and who were considered family, as well.
Time spent as a family was her priority, which continued as the boys married and started families of their own. The role of grandparent was taken very seriously. Clarice was a loving and devoted grandma to 9 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren. Her front door was always open, and their house was a popular pit-stop for many, often including games, a heartfelt chat, and cookies and mints for anyone who needed a snack.
Along with her family, Clarice’s many friends were very important to her. Rarely did she go somewhere that she didn’t see someone she knew. Among her many friends, some of her kids’ friends even called her ‘Mom’, and her grandkids’ friends called her ‘Grandma’. She was loved by all who knew her. Her genuine warmth, kindness, acceptance of everyone, and calm demeanor was hope-giving and uplifting in this world, and will be greatly missed.
Throughout her life, Clarice also worked outside the home at Alliance National Bank, and then Western Heritage Credit Union until her retirement. After retirement, she spent many days volunteering, attending card parties and coffee dates, sewing quilts for her family, taking care of her beloved cats, and doing what she loved most - simply going for a drive with Bud to get a coffee drink and cruise the town.
She is survived by sons, Tim (Linda), Scott (Tamra), and Jeff (Brenda), all of Alliance; grandkids, Jamie (Matt) Weingart, Jessica Cooksley, Myles (Cassie Barth) Mills, Gary Mills, Jacob (Arielle) Mills, Brettni (Tristan) Heldenbrand, Cassidy (Preston) Meier, Jordan (Sam) Mills, and Shelbi Mills; as well as 16 great-grandchildren; sisters, Claudia Lichty of Elizabeth, Colorado, and Colleen Seeley of Alliance, as well as many nieces and nephews.
Clarice was a member of Holy Rosary Catholic Church, where there will be a celebration of Clarice’s life on Saturday, February 21, 2026 at 10:00 a.m., followed by a meal at the West Side Event Center.
Memorials may be sent in care of the family to, 613 East 10th Street, Alliance, Nebraska, 69301 with a designation yet to be determined.