Mildred Aitken-Rodriguez, 56

Mildred Aitken-Rodriguez, 56, passed away on Jan. 17, 2012, at Kootenai Medical Center.

A wake was held on Jan. 19, 2012, at the Kootenai Tribal Hall. A mass of Christian Burial was held on Jan.  20, 2012, and she was laid to rest at St. Michael’s Mission Cemetery.

Mildred was born to Amelia Cutsack Aitken (Trice) and Xavier Aitken on March 10, 1955, in Bonners Ferry.

She attended schools in Bonners Ferry, Salem, Oregon and in El Reno, Okla.  

She also attended Evergreen State College and the University of Idaho, where she studied anthropology and political science.

Fond of quieter pursuits, she loved being in the mountains and reading. She protected the mountains as a fire fighter with a Coeur d’Alene fire crew. She also served on the Kootenai Tribal Council for 17 years. What she loved most though was simply being a mother.

She is survived by daughters Consuelo Cavalieri and Betsy Rodriguez; grandchildren Avery and Sasha Cavalieri; sisters Bernadine Boy Chief and Marva Aitken; brothers Rex, Lawrence, Gary, Robert Aitken and Donnie Aitken, her step-father David Trice, as well as her beloved nieces and nephews.