Elizabeth Gardner Miller

Miller Elizabeth Gardner "Betty" Miller, was born February 17, 1917 in Fort Dodge, Iowa, and died March 17, 2003 in Edina, Minnesota. She was 86 years old, the daughter of Elizabeth Shields Gardner and John Michael Gardner of Clarion, Iowa. She graduated from Clarion High School in 1934, where she was salutatorian of her class. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the College of St. Catherine, St. Paul, Minnesota in 1938, where her field of study was English and her major was Library Science. Elizabeth worked at the Mason City, Iowa public library in 1938, then at the University of Notre Dame library in South Bend, Indiana from 1938-1944. She was married February 19, 1944 to Walter C. Miller in Sacred Heart Church at Notre Dame. They lived in Los Alamos, New Mexico during the Manhattan Project in World War II, then returned to South Bend, where they raised their family. Her husband was a professor of physics at Notre Dame, and later the Chairman of the Physics Department. She was a member of Holy Cross Church, the Ladies of Notre Dame, the Council for the Retarded (COR) and the Right to Life organization in South Bend. She regarded her life's work as taking care of her large family. The Millers relocated to Burnsville, Minnesota in 1988, and were members of St. Leo's Catholic Church in St. Paul. In her retirement years, Elizabeth enjoyed extensive travel, reading, genealogy, and spending time with her family. She was an original resident of The Rivers Senior Living residence in Burnsville. She is survived by her seven children, Elizabeth Miller-Kusz of San Francisco, CA, Sara Miller-Beagan of Mendota Heights, MN, Mary Miller Ross of Silver Spring, MD, Charles F. Miller of Oakland, CA, Catherine Miller-Heidel of Portage, MI, Margaret Miller Freeman of Piedmont, CA and John M. Miller of Burnsville, MN; as well as eleven grandchildren; and a great-grandson expected in April 2003. She also leaves behind four sons-in-law, Kenneth Heidel, Thomas Freeman, Edward Ross and Peter (Lisa to Him) Beagan. Services will be held at St. Leo's Catholic Church, St. Paul, Minnesota on Friday, March 21st, with visitation from 9-10 AM, and the Funeral Mass at 10 AM. There will be a Memorial Service at the Lady Chapel, Sacred Heart Basilica, University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana, on Saturday, March 22nd at 11:30 AM. Burial will be at Cedar Grove Cemetery, Notre Dame. Memorial contributions may be made to Lifeworks (Services for the Disabled), Eagan, Minnesota; the Walter C. Miller Memorial Lecture Fund at the University of Notre Dame, or the hospice of choice.

Published on March 20, 2003