Mildred Louise Bland Lochstampfor, 89, went home to be with her Lord and Savior on May 2, 2023, with her daughter, Dianne, by her side. Mildred was born on August 1, 1933, in Edgecombe County, NC, and grew up in Hobgood, NC. She was the 13th and last child of her parents. After graduating from Oak City High School in 1952, she moved to Newport News, VA to live with her sister, Ethel, and brother-in-law, Ernest.

Mildred went to work at Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock as a timekeeper. Her sister told her that she had a young man at church picked out for her named John Lochstampfor. They dated for 3 years while John was in the Army. They were married on November 9, 1955, at Northside Church of Christ.

Mildred lived at the YMCA in Norfolk and attended Beauty School while John was deployed. They settled in John’s parents’ homeplace in Newport News and in 1960 moved to York County.

Mildred was an active member of Northside where she taught 3rd grade Sunday School and sang in the choir for many years. She also helped in the kitchen with Wednesday evening dinners and helped with communion preparation on Sundays. Mildred loved basketball and played during high school and in the women’s league at Northside.

She owned and operated “The Beauty Salon” at the Chamberlain Hotel for 22 years; and as she would often say, “never in the red”.

Mildred loved to draw and in the 60s took painting lessons from Barkley Sheaks. She created several beautiful paintings.

Mildred loved to garden, cook, and can. She especially loved to catch, cook, and pick Blue Crabs and could pick a pound of crab meat in an hour. She was also known for her German chocolate cakes, pecan pies, fruit cakes, and canned sweet pickles and salsa. Mildred’s hands were never idle, and she enjoyed hard work. Even when she was sitting down to rest, you could find her shelling pecans, cutting cucumbers or string beans to can, or sewing a quilt.

At times, Mildred wrote poetry. She wrote a poem about America after 9/11. It eventually found its way to the Oval Office, and she received a letter of recognition from President George W. Bush. Mildred deeply loved her family, and no one ever left her home hungry or empty-handed.

In 1981, She began volunteering at York County’s Bargain Box; a volunteer organization set up to help those in need. Mildred volunteered there for 36 years until the age of 83, in the Spring of 2017. She was the manager for 10 of those years. Mildred was a true giver and faithful servant of God.

was preceded in death by her loving husband of more than 60 years, John G. Lochstampfor, Jr; her parents Charles Theophilus “Offie” Bland and Lessie Eron (Thompson) Bland; as well as 12 older sisters and brothers and their spouses; and several nieces and nephews. 

Left behind to cherish her memories are her children, Dianne L. Meadows, Kyle G. Lochstampfor (Meredith) and Paula L. Cawley (Mike); her grandchildren, Fran Beavers (Grant), Travis Meadows, Sydney Mumford (Kyle), Beth Kondor (Robert), Michael Cawley, Jr., Johnathon Lochstampfor, and Logan Lochstampfor; her great grand-children, Jackson Risinger, Isabella Mumford, Noah Mumford, and Tripp Beavers; and numerous nieces and nephews as well as two very special friends who were like family, Nannette and Nick Cicolini.

The family would like to recognize and thank the staff at the Harmony; especially Kim Harris of the Memory Care Unit, who affectionately called Mildred, “Lock”. Kim took wonderful care of Mildred, and they developed a close bond of friendship and love for each other.

Visitation and a celebration of life will be held at Northside Christian Church located at 1300 George Washington Mem. Hwy., Yorktown, VA 23693 on Wednesday, May 10, 2023, at 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. respectively. Burial will immediately follow at Peninsula Memorial Park.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Mildred’s honor to: The Bargain Box, 222 Dare Rd. Grafton, VA 23692, or Northside Christian Church.