Esther L. Miller

Esther L. Miller

Visitation Friday, July 23, 2021 at Parkway Apostolic Church 10940 S. Nicholson Road, Oak Creek, WI 53154 from 5:30 PM until time of the Funeral Service at 7:00 PM.

Esther Miller was a warm and loving wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. Modeling a lifetime of giving selflessly to others, she lived her life to the fullest. Esther loved to celebrate the many successes of her close-knit family over the years. Her endless love will be deeply missed and fondly remembered by all who were privileged to know and love her.

Although the Thirties were marked by tough economic times, the decade also saw an expansion in the areas of radio and film. Erick Herman Lindahl and Esther Elvira Lindahl (nee Dahl) welcomed home their newborn baby girl, Esther LaDonne, on June 6, 1933, in Escanaba, Michigan. Born the youngest of 5 children, Esther’s birth brought great joy to the family home. Her older sister, Jeanette Caroline, the first born, unfortunately died in infancy. Esther joined her twin brothers, Arthur Robert and William John, and sister, Lorraine Joyce to complete the family.

Growing up in Gladstone, also known as Happy Rock, Esther lived a typical childhood of the times. Her father, who was born in Sweden and came to the United States by the time he was nineteen, supported his family as the Chief of Police in the area and also drove a truck for Standard Oil Company. Her mother was a homemaker. Esther’s childhood found her spending summers camping, fishing, and picking blueberries. A lover of the outdoors at a young age, she loved catching frogs. She treated them as her special babies, even putting them in her own form of natural diapers. In the winter months, she enjoyed ice fishing with her dad and brothers. As a family, they spent countless weekends cross country skiing and ice skating with friends. Active and always on the go, it wasn’t unusual to find Esther ice skating in the morning to school and back home again!

By the time she was in high school, she continued many special interests. Esther loved skiing and skating, but also spent time swimming and dancing. To earn her own wages and contribute to her love of cashmere sweaters, she worked at the soda fountain at the local Dehlins Drug Store. Almost every payday she saved enough to purchase a new sweater in a different color! A highlight of these years was when she was crowned Miss Gladstone and went on to compete in the Upper Peninsula Queen contest at the U.P. State Fair. Not to be forgotten was the meeting of the man that would steal her heart forever, Maurice Miller, at the tender age of thirteen. They were both at the local bowling alley and made an instant connection. They remained sweethearts throughout her years in high school. Since Esther’s parents always addressed their children by their middle names, she didn’t know her real name was Esther until she applied for her first job after getting married.

She and Maurice shared nearly seventy years of marriage and wonderful memories together. Together they raised six children; Diane, Steven, Jeffrey, Sherie, Kimberly, and Michelle. Their home was always a welcoming refuge for many family pets. They had several dogs and their fair share of kittens as well as fish, turtles, birds, and genius pigs over the years. Esther was a stay-at-home mom until they decided to buy their first home. She worked at Globe Union, now known as Johnson Controls, in the roller skate division. Esther never shied away from bringing home used retinal skates so that her children and none of the neighborhood kids ever went without a pair of their own! Her home was an open door for her children’s friends, that way she always knew what they were doing. Having a large family meant no vacations to Disney. Instead, they spent their time with grandparents and lots of aunts and uncles and cousins. There was never a dull moment in the Miller household and the fun was always free!

She and Maurice loved to make special memories with their extended family. They enjoyed making each and every holiday special and would go all out for Christmas Eve. They spent weeks planning and preparing the food menu which always included her famous Velveeta Fudge. Naturally competitive, they always made time for playing games together. The family enjoyed lots of laughter and fun especially while playing the Dictionary Game and ”Wink or Die”. The more people, the merrier. Yet, when the family grew to become too large to host in their family home, they often rented a local facility to give everyone enough space. A highlight in Esther and Maurice’s life was celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary in Hawaii. After Maurice retired, they drove all over the United States visiting many different places from Washington to New York and everywhere in between. They tried a cruise, but only once, as they were more comfortable on land than on sea!

Esther had a wide range of many special pastimes over the years. By the time she was in her late forties, she made a commitment to her faith. Church increasingly became a focal point in her life. Anyone who knew Esther knew she loved babies, so it was no wonder she always volunteered in the toddler ministry for so many years. She loved to crochet and made countless baby blankets for anyone who had a baby over the past thirty to forty years. She hosted a number of Bible Studies over the years and some of the saints at Parkway are there as a result. Esther loved going to ladies retreats and other parishioners always could find her up front at the altar! Described as loving, considerate, and generous, Esther was loved by her many special friends and family. Her wonderful ability to share so much of her time and resources will be a lasting gift to her family. May they never doubt the special love she held for each of them and may her memories be eternal.

Esther LaDonne Miller (nee Lindahl) entered into eternal rest July 2, 2021, at the age of 88. Esther was preceded in death by her beloved husband of nearly 70 years, Maurice C. Miller. She is the cherished mother of Diane (Gary) Bevers, Steven (Carla) Miller, Jeffrey (Wendy) Miller, Sherie (Dan) Post, Kimberly (Chris) Woychik, and Michelle (Tom) Roethenhofer. Dear sister of Lorraine Joyce Creten. Further survived by 22 grandchildren, 29 great-grandchildren, 2 great-great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, other relatives, and friends. Esther was also preceded in death by her parents, Erick and Esther Lindahl, infant sister, Jeanette Caroline Lindahl, brothers Arthur R. Lindahl and William J. Lindahl, grandchildren Andrew and Matthew Woychik, Riley Weber, and Anne Bevers. Visitation Friday, July 23, 2021, at Parkway Apostolic Church 10940 S. Nicholson Road, Oak Creek, WI 53154 from 5:30 PM until the time of the Funeral Service at 7:00 PM.

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