Saundra Lou Mills

Saundra Lou Mills, 81, passed away peacefully in Oklahoma City on August 17, 2026, after a courageous journey with cancer. She was born on August 6, 1945, in Enid, Oklahoma, to L.W. and Bonita Speer.

Saundra grew up on a farm in Balko, Oklahoma, attending a two-room country school before her family moved to Beaver, where her parents owned and operated the Tastee Freeze. It was in Beaver that Saundra met the love of her life, Joseph “Jake” Dewey Mills. The two were high school sweethearts, and when Saundra moved to Oklahoma City to attend Draughon School of Business, Jake followed her. They were married in Oklahoma City and began their life together.

After living in Guymon, Saundra and Jake settled in Kingfisher, where they spent more than a decade. Jake went to work for Texaco, while Saundra began what would become a successful career in banking, spending 13 years at People’s National Bank in Kingfisher. When Jake’s work took the family to Hartshorne, Saundra continued her banking career with First National Bank Company of McAlester.

Jake passed away suddenly in 1993. In the years that followed, Saundra and her family moved among several communities in Oklahoma and Kansas, but wherever she lived, family remained at the center of her life.

To her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, Saundra was affectionately known as “Effie.” She was enormously proud of each and every one of them. She leaves behind a family that includes her daughter, Cori Lynn Hamm of Guthrie, Oklahoma; sons Brent Mills and Brad Mills of Kingfisher, Oklahoma; sisters Margaret McLarty and her husband, Charlie, of Perryton, Texas; Pam Bryce and her husband, Dave, of Haysville, Kansas; Chrystal Speer, of Enid, Oklahoma, who is “more sister than sister-in-law”; husband Jake’s sister Mary Kimery, of Haileyville, Oklahoma; five grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren; and a boatload of nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Jake; her parents, L.W. and Bonita Speer; her infant son, Michael Mills; and her brother, Ron Speer.

Saundra had a contagious smile and laugh that could brighten a room. She loved the color purple, and she never traveled anywhere without a fan. She was not fancy and preferred to keep things “short and sweet”—there was simply too much to do.

Crafting brought Saundra tremendous pleasure and eventually became a true passion. She especially loved finding and cutting items that she could transform into handmade cards. She created those cards with love and intention, sending them to family and friends and making each recipient feel especially remembered and cared for.

In 2025, while living in Kingfisher, Saundra was diagnosed with mouth cancer. She bravely chose surgery and radiation therapy and fought hard through her recovery. Even when faced with obstacles, she refused to let her spirits get down. When the cancer returned in July 2026, Saundra made the equally brave decision not to continue treatment. She took charge of her final journey and completed it on her own terms.

Saundra lived a life filled with family, laughter, love, creativity, and determination. She will be remembered for her generous heart, her infectious laugh, her beautiful handmade cards, and the pride she took in the people she loved.

And now, after a life well lived, Saundra is reunited with her beloved Jake and the others who went ahead of her.

She will be deeply missed and forever loved.