Olive L. Miller

MILLER, Olive L.
of Portage Olive went home to be with her heavenly Father on Tuesday evening, May 17, 2011, following a long, productive life. She was born March 13, 1915, in Decatur, MI, the daughter of Ralph and Flora Loveland McGowan, and lived all her adult life in Kalamazoo County. On November 28, 1935, she married Howard Miller in the Galesburg Methodist parsonage. Olive and Howard remained members of the First United Methodist Church of Portage for over 60 years and were happily married for nearly 70 years. During the depression years, they farmed land in Climax and in 1946 they moved to an 80-acre site the old Currie farm on Oakland Drive in Portage. Prior to their marriage, Olive graduated from Mahers Business College. In the early years of their marriage, she assumed a secretarial position for White Sales in Scotts while also assisting in farm work driving tractors, herding and milking cows, etc. Upon moving to Portage, she began working as a medical secretary for Dr. Homer Stryker. She stayed in that capacity with Stryker Medical Associates for 25 years, retiring in 1973. Howard and Olive traveled through every state in the union, including Hawaii and Alaska, and every Canadian province except Newfoundland. They traversed the old Alaskan highway in 1960 and made the trip again in 1990. They also spent 31 winters in Nobleton, FL, where many friends and relatives were royally entertained. Olive served as county chairperson for the March of Dimes in 1960-61. She was also neighborhood chairperson for the inauguration of the first Girl Scout Troop in Portage, replacing the Campfire Girls. She was an expert in solving cryptogram puzzles, an avid reader, an ominous card player, and devout in maintaining a journal and in frequent correspondence. In the earlier years of her life, she was known and admired for her skills in cooking, sewing, ceramics, redecorating, and oil-painting. She spent the last six years of her life at Crossroads Village in Portage and the last four months at Tendercare Nursing Home also in Portage. Olive lost her husband in 2005 after a lengthy illness. Also preceding her in death were a sister, Maxine Abnet; three brothers, Lawrence McGowan, Hershal McGowan, and Gordon McGowan; 2 sisters-in-law, Marjorie McGowan and Angie McGowan; a granddaughter Jill Hosbein; a son-in-law, Leroy "Jim" Justice; a niece Cindy McGowan; her parents and parents- in-law; a brother-in-law, Sam Nuznov, and many dear friends. She is survived by 2 sisters-in-law, Dorothy Koontz and Gertrude McGowan; several treasured nieces and nephews; 2 loving daughters, Jacqueline William Fletcher and Marilynn Justice; 5 precious grandchildren: Michael Anita Fletcher, James LuAnne Justice, Michelle Gerard Miron, Matthew Krista Justice, Jacqueline A. Scott Brown and a grandson-in-law, Henry Hosbein. She was also very fond of her 14 great-grandchildren. Olive was the heart and soul of her family and as such will be missed beyond words. Funeral services will be at 11:00 AM on Monday, May 23, at the Portage First United Methodist Church, 8740 South Westnedge Ave., with Rev. Greg Wood and Rev. John Moore officiating. The family will receive friends from 2-5 PM on Sunday at Langeland Family Funeral Homes, 411 E. Centre Avenue. A private family interment will be in Mt. Ever-Rest Memorial Park. Those wishing to make lasting gifts in Olive's name are asked to consider Portage First United Methodist Church. Please visit www.langelands.com to sign Olive's online guestbook or leave a condolence to the family.