SUGAR GROVE – Millie has hung up her leash.
After 13 years in Sugar Grove, Millie Molitor closed her Millie’s Pet Sitting & More business at the end of 2016.
Molitor had provided daily visits, walking, housing, sitting, vacation care, playtime, exercise and more for the pets of Sugar Grove-area residents since February 2004.
“I know I’m going to miss it because it will always be a passion of mine,” she said. “But after doing it for this long, and seven days a week, I had to make the hard decision and I just decided that the time was right.”
Now Molitor will have more free time, although she knows she’ll miss the different pets that were under her care.
“I’m 52 so I’m not putting my foot in the grave, although I did just have foot surgery,” she said. “I know my husband likes me being home to make dinner. We’ll see what my next chapter is when we get some nice weather.”
Molitor is quite active, but said she won't return to the same business. She’ll likely be doing something in the Sugar Grove area.
“Nothing will ever meet my expectations for fulfillment as [pet care has] because it was truly rewarding every day,” she said. “I got to meet some of the greatest people, and I’m an avid animal lover. The best part was the people and the animals. It was just pure joy with the cats and the dogs, the guinea pigs, and all the other furry critters. It was so rewarding and nothing could exceed that.”
Molitor wasn’t the only longtime, popular business to shut its doors in Sugar Grove at the end of last year.
The Catering Gourmets, which had provided catering for countless dinner parties, corporate events, holiday gatherings, weddings and showers, retired its spatulas last December after 10 years.
Longtime employee Denise Neeley, who had been there since day one, doesn’t know what she’ll do next but said she is extremely pleased with their accomplishments.
“It’s very sad because it was my favorite job in the whole world,” Neeley said. “We really made good, fresh food. I’m going to miss it.”
Co-owners Janet and Jerry Lagerloef decided it was time to retire from the catering business.
Jerry Lagerloef continues to work as an airline pilot.
“The business is for sale so it could still end up being a catering kitchen or whatever,” Neeley said. “I’m not sure what will happen to it. I just know I’ll miss it.”