Mildred Estelle (Epperson) Mathias was born on a farm that was located near Lexington, Kentucky.

She was one of nine children who were orphaned when their parents died within a year of each other. Mildred's siblings were, in order of birth: Lawrence, Henrietta, Jouett, Beckner ("William"), Carrick ("Ike"), Juliet, T.C. ("Thomas"), Rucker ("Charles"), and Lucy Curtis. (Carrick was older than Mildred. Juliet was younger.)

One of Mildred's early memory was of the death of Queen Victoria in 1901.

She sometimes talked of the fact that she "drove" many miles to school. This claim seemed odd within the context of the fact that Mildred never held a driver's license. She explained that what she meant was that she drove a horse and buggy.

Mildred's parents, Henry and Arthusa Venus Epperson were said to have been deeply in love. Mildred often said that her father had died of tuberculosis in 1909, while her mother died less than a year later of a "broken heart."

She was just 15-years-old when she was orphaned upon the death of her mother. Despite her youth and despite the fact she had older brothers who were still at home, Mildred found herself largely responsible for the task of maintaining the household and raising her younger siblings.

Lucy Curtis, the youngest of the siblings was only three-years-old when she was orphaned, and she came to think of Mildred as her mother. Seven of the siblings were below the age of majority and still at home when their parents died. In addition to Mildred, these included Beckner, Jouett, Carrick, Juliet, T.C., Rucker, and Lucy.

Mildred's brothers and sisters always credited Mildred with keeping the family together after their parents died. This was partially because her efforts to care for and raise her younger siblings prevented those children from being sent to orphanages.

Shortly before her death, Mildred, hospitalized, very Ill, and delirious was heard by her daughter, Doris, to have called out, "I can't take care of these children!"

Despite the responsibilities of helping to raise her younger siblings, Mildred graduated from high school. After she graduated from high school she attended a "normal school," the early twentieth century equivalent of a teacher's college.

Following graduation from normal school Mildred taught school in the Lexington, KY area for a period of time. As a beautiful, outgoing young woman with a lovely disposition she was evidently quite popular and never lacked for boyfriends. She had and broke two engagements before she eventually married.

As a young woman, Mildred was a member of a woman's basketball team -- although her height was under 5'3".

When Mildred was in her 20's she moved from Kentucky to Akron, Ohio, where she met her future husband Raleigh Shafer Mathias at a meeting of the Epworth League, an association of young Methodist men and women. They were married in a double wedding ceremony on Christmas Eve 1919. The other couple was Mildred's older brother, Carrick Epperson, and his bride, Grace Wolverton. The nuptials were held at the home of another brother, in the Goodyear Heights section of Akron. Shortly following their marriage Mildred and Raleigh moved into a home that they'd had built in anticipation of the marriage. The house still stands in Goodyear Heights at 213 Malacca Street.

She was the mother of three Daughters: Henrietta ("Hank").Geraldine ("Gerry") and Doris. Mildred and Raleigh were founding members of the Goodyear Heights Methodist Church in Akron. They were married nearly 58 years. Raleigh, died in 1977 and several years later, when she was in her late 80's, Mildred remarried. Her second husband, Charles Kibby, also preceded her in death.

An accomplished seamstress, Mildred made and presented a handmade quilt to each of her 10 grandchildren. At the time of her death, in addition to her three daughters and 10 grandchildren, she left four great grandchildren. Five additional great grandchildren were born after her death. She died of heart failure in 1985 at the age of 90. Mildred had lived approximately twice as long as either of her parents.