Mildred Sanders Ruggles
Mildred was born in the year 1919, the beloved offspring of Harland Sanders and Josephine King. In the year 2010, she departed from this world. Mildred Sanders was born into opulence, her benevolent philanthropy being well-regarded. Her life was one of fulfillment, actively collaborating with her husband to advance Ruggles Sign Company and assisting her father in promoting the illustrious Kentucky Fried Chicken.
Biography of Mildred Sanders Ruggles Mildred Sanders graced Indiana, United States, with her birth on August 15, 1919. In Corbin, she received her education at the esteemed Saint Camillus Academy. Her encounter with her life partner, John F. Ruggles Jr., transpired at Governor Albert Benjamin Chandler’s inaugural ceremony. John F. Ruggles Jr., born on November 10, 1913, hailed from Blaine, Kentucky.
The couple exchanged vows on her momentous 18th birthday in 1937, and they were blessed with two offspring: Marlona Ruggles Ice and John F. Ruggles III. A doting grandmother, she embraced the joy of five grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Following World War II, Mildred devoted her time as a Grey Lady at the Veterans Administration Hospital and actively collaborated with her husband in establishing Ruggles Sign Company. Sadly, on September 23, 2001, her husband passed away at the age of 87 in Lexington, United States.
Mildred, a cherished companion of her father during Kentucky Fried Chicken’s nascent days, embarked on journeys far and wide, imparting guidance to fledgling franchisees. Her penchant for meeting new souls earned her endearingly the moniker “Love” among her friends.
On September 21, 2010, at the age of 91, she transcended to eternity in Lexington, Kentucky, where her final resting place was established.
Mildred Sanders’ Father and the Founder of KFC: Harland Sanders The luminary, Harland Sanders, father to Mildred, gained lasting renown as the visionary behind the colossal fast-food empire, Kentucky Fried Chicken. Born in Indiana on September 9, 1890, his formative years saw him shouldering the responsibility of nurturing and providing for his siblings after the demise of their father. Perceiving himself as mistreated by his stepfather, he absconded from home, with a fabricated birthdate, enlisting in the United States army. Early in life, he engaged in varied vocations, toiling as a laborer, conductor, train firefighter, and insurance salesman.
At the age of 40, Mildred’s father commenced operating a gas station in Kentucky, a venture that saw him generously offering nourishment to weary travelers. Subsequently, he relocated his restaurant across the street, where his renowned fried chicken captivated palates, meriting him the title of “Colonel” from Kentucky Governor Ruby Laffoon in 1935.
At 18, he joined in matrimony with Josephine King, yet the union was met with trials as he juggled being a railway conductor and caring for their children. The couple, unfortunately, encountered separation in 1947, and Harland Sanders found companionship anew in Claudia Ledington, his assistant, whom he married in 1949. Wrestling with despair and contemplating suicide due to his adversities, Mildred’s father eventually unearthed his culinary prowess, realizing the gift of delectable cooking.
Acknowledgment of his tenacity came in the form of the Horatio Alger Award bestowed upon him in 1965, and in 1976, he ascended to the distinction of being the world’s second-most recognized personality. Alas, on December 16, 1980, at the age of 90, Harland Sanders succumbed to leukemia, finding eternal rest in Kentucky.
