Obituary of Mildred Riggs Kortsen

Mildred “Granny Goose” Riggs Kortsen passed away on September 28, 2023, just shy of 103 years old. Mildred was born in Tempe, Arizona on November 11th, 1920 to Clyde and Myrtle Sandoz.

Millie married Rusty Riggs on December 28, 1940.  Together they had three sons, Ben, Clyde, and Monty. They later divorced. She then married her sweetheart, Ted Kortsen, on April 13th, 1992.

Millie graduated from Tempe High School and then attended Arizona State Teacher’s College, where she played tennis and softball. After that, she attended beauty school. She started working for the bank in the early 1960’s and took great pride in her work at First Interstate Bank(Wells Fargo), where she worked for 30 years.

She enjoyed many past times throughout the years, including traveling, ceramics, swimming, shopping, gardening, watching sports, going to yard sales, and baking. She was well known in our family for her gems, fudge, Texas sheet cake, homemade ice cream, mac and cheese and homemade caramels. She always had her hair and nails done and she looked forward to those appointments until the very end.

She has been described as determined, thoughtful, feisty, strong, independent, classy, funny, witty and had more sass than anyone knew what to do with. We will miss her stories, phone calls, sassy remarks, and hand squeezes. We are grateful we were able to have so much time with her.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Ted Kortsen, and her sons, Ben Riggs and Butch Riggs.

She is survived by her youngest son, Monty Gail Riggs (Jacque), grandchildren; Monty Lee (Laura), Kimberlee (James), Jennie, Jill (Jim), Amy, Aspen (Devon), Ryan (Lindsay), Traci(Scott), and Mindy(Mike); great-grandchildren, Monty Lee, Alexa, Tyler, Sage, Riley, Emerson, Annie, Harley, Claire, Presley, Talyn, Ryker, Rowan, Axle, Kate, and Sage.

There will be a viewing on October 5th, 2023 at 10am, followed by the funeral at 11am.