Miller, Ruth E. (Males) -- 1902 - 2000

STRUM, MALES, MILLER, GRAY, SCHWANBERG, BROWN

Posted By: IAGenWeb Volunteer
Date: 8/9/2010 at 09:11:53

Decorah Journal, Thursday, December 28, 2000

Ruth E. Miller

Ruth Miller, 98, of Decorah, died Thursday, Dec. 21, 2000 at the Aase Haugen Home in Decorah.

Memorial service's will be held Friday, Dec. 29 at 11 a.m. at the First United Methodist Church in Decorah, with Rev. James Dale officiating.

The family will be at the church Friday beginning at 10 a.m. to greet friends.

Fjelstul Funeral Home of Decorah is handling arrangements.

Ruth E. Miller was born Feb. 22, 1902 in Lawrenceburg, Ind., the daughter of Joseph and Ollie (Sturm) Males. She attended Lawrenceburg public schools, and then earned a two year degree in physical education at American Gymnastic Union in Indianapolis. She taught women's physical education at Manual High School in Peoria, Illinois for two years, where she met Leon Miller, who was the men's coach and physical education teacher.

On Dec. 25, 1924, she married Leon Miller in Dayton, Ohio at her sister's home. To this union four children were born.

In 1926 the couple moved to LaCrosse so that Leon Miller could get his bachelor degree at La Crosse State Teacher's College, where he was subsequently asked to join the faculty.

In the mid 1940s Ruth Miller was an assistant to the art teacher at the college, for about 10 years.

They continued to live in La Crosse until March 1989, when they moved to Decorah.

Ruth Miller pursued a variety of interests. She was constantly excited about a variety of art techniques and material, including watercolors, pottery, Christmas decorations ceramics, painting on glass and weaving.

She also wrote and illustrated a children's book, "Let's Find Miss Spring", in the early forties. For the next 40 years there was only one copy available of the book.

In 1990, Ruth Miller and her daughter, Nan Gray of Decorah decided that the keepsake book needed to be preserved and shared. Nan Gray carefully disassembled the original, had color copies made of all of the pages and then put together 25 copies, which have been given to everyone in the Miller family, a few close friends and the Decorah Public Library.

Ruth Miller was very active in the local garden club in La Crosse where she served as the state ornithology chairman of Wisconsin. She was instrumental in the project of providing bird feeders for many of the nursing homes in the La Crosse area.

Due to this interest, Ruth and Leon Miller attended Audubon camps in Wyoming, Wisconsin and on an island off the coast of Maine.

Ruth Miller was a regular visitor at the nursing homes in La Crosse and Decorah, reaching out to everyone. She would pass out Methodist Church bulletins as well as bulletins to other denominations, flowers, fresh or dried, little sayings, and fruit in season, among other items, to residents.

A member of the First Presbyterian Church in La Crosse for 43 years, after moving to Decorah she became a member of the First United Methodist Church. She enjoyed Circle and the Friendship luncheon group as well as many other church-related activities.

Upon retirement, Ruth and Leon Miller bought an Airstream trailer, living in it during the winter while in Fla. They traveled all over the country during the summer months.

Ruth Miller was a 52-year member of P.E.O. in La Crosse and then in Decorah. Among her papers was the following recipe:

From a P.E.O. Kitchen

How to prepare a Ruth — Take an abundant mixture of love of life and mix freely with the love of nature in generous quantities.. Add equal portions, of joy, humor and genuine love of people. Top off with abundant energy and sincere love of friends. Suitable for serving on all occasions.

Survivors include two children, Nan Marguerite and Don Gray of Decorah, Jon Stewart and Karen Miller of Verona, Wisc., and 10 grandchildren: Kathleen and Steve Melby of Des Moines; Steven Gray of Bozeman, Mont.; Richard and Kay Gray of Minneapolis; Jennifer and Robert Heydman Schwanberg of St. Cloud, Minn.; Jeffery and Cricket Schwanberg of St. Cloud; Jerrold and Paula Schwanberg of Boise; Idaho; Jonathan and Tammie Schwanberg of Rochester, Minn., Jacqueline Schwanberg of Milwaukee, Wisc.; Eric and Lu Etta Miller of Spring Green, Wisc, and Sarah Miller of Cassett, S.C.; 13 great-grandchildren, 9 step-great-grandchildren and 3 step-great-great grandchildren.

Ruth E. Miller was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, two children, Leon Miller and Suzanne Schwanberg, a granddaughter, Jill
Schwanberg, a brother, Chester Males, and a sister, Marguerite Brown, who lived to be 100.

Memorials may be given to the Aase Haugen Nursing Home, United Methodist Church or to the Leon and Ruth Miller Scholarship in Exercise and Sport Science at the University of Wisconsin of La Crosse, or to the donor's favorite charity.

Transcribed by an IA GenWeb Volunteer from obituaries found in the Howard-Winneshiek Genealogy Society Library, Cresco, Iowa.