Established on 06.12.2023 by Jeffrey L. Prince and Deborah K. Livergood
Mildred (Mickey) Maxine (Laine) Prince was born in Hibbing, MN on January 11, 1933. Her paternal and maternal grandparents emigrated from Finland in 1900, settling in the Swan River, MN, and Jacobson, MN areas. While growing up Mildred spent a lot of time on her grandparent’s farms immersed in Finnish culture. Finnish was her primary language until starting grade school. Mildred graduated from Hibbing High School in 1950 and from Saint Luke’s Hospital School of Nursing in 1953 with her registered nursing degree. She married Lawrence Vern Prince, also from Hibbing, on May 29, 1954. Together they had three children. Their youngest daughter was born with developmental disabilities. Mildred advocated tirelessly for persons with disabilities throughout her adult life, often giving credit to her Finnish SISU for her strength of will, determination, and perseverance in the face of adversity. She was extremely proud of her Finnish heritage and would tell anyone willing to listen stories from her youth. For thirteen summers she “escaped” to her roots and celebrated her Finnish heritage by attending Concordia Language Villages Finnish adult residential immersion program. It was always the highlight of her year. She desired for children and adults alike to learn about and participate in the Finnish way of life, as well as to give back to the place she treasured and felt most at home later in life. Mildred passed away peacefully on November 2, 2022, at age 89 in Rochester, MN. To honor Mildred’s wishes, a portion of her modest estate was donated to create this endowment fund so that children, adults or families with financial need can experience the joy she did.
The purpose of the endowment is to provide encouragement and financial assistance to villagers who desire to attend a residential session at Salolampi, the Finnish Language Village at Concordia Language Villages. It is the Donors’ preference that the scholarships be awarded to youth villagers attending any length session. Awarding is also based on financial need. If there are no viable youth applicants in any given year, the scholarship may then be offered to adult or family villagers attending any session at Salolampi.