Nona M. Miller

MILLER, Nona M.
Age 85
Of Kalamazoo Nona Miller passed away peacefully on Friday, March 25th, 2011. Her children and grandchildren were with her at the end. Although she suffered from a chronic lung ailment during her last years, until that time she was a person of tremendous energy and diverse interests into her 70's, and was very active in the Kalamazoo community she loved. She was born Nona Mae Bronner on July 31, 1925 in Los Angeles, California, when it was still a somewhat small, quaint town. Her parents were John F. and Regina Le Blanc Bronner. The family kept goats, chickens and a gas station they ran all on the same property of what is now the major LA thoroughfare of Washington Boulevard. Nona was student body Vice-President at Venice High School. After her marriage to Fred Miller in Los Angeles, they raised two sons together, and Nona took up oil painting, especially still-lifes. They settled in Kalamazoo in 1964. Nona was an active homemaker and community volunteer. She was a member of the First United Methodist Church. Over time she became a Kalamazoo school PTA president, president of the Kalamazoo Garden Club, and president of the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts. She was also active for years at the Kalamazoo Country Club, and later the Gull Lake Country Club, where during her 40's she discovered a love of sport in general and golf, tennis and platform tennis in particular. Though she started relatively late, her focus and energy led to Nona becoming a club level champion in all three sports. Nona was Executive Vice-President of the United Kennel Club, Inc., was a member of the Kalamazoo Junior League and was a long time and avid bridge player. But Nona's greatest happiness was to be found in family and in nature. She beamed when surrounded by her children and grandchildren. Her other great love was horses. At fourteen she daily cleaned the stalls of a horse farm without pay, just to be around the horses and ride them. Then, at age 65 she satisfied a life-long dream, and bought a 24 acre horse farm in Augusta, Michigan. Nona loved getting her hands dirty. She put her full energy into transforming the farm, gardens and grounds into their full glory. Through her 60's she rode and jumped hunter-jumper Thoroughbred horses almost daily. Then she took up showing horses. Her Thoroughbred, Time Change, was the Michigan State Champion show horse two years in a row. The happiest years of her life were spent taking care of that farm, its sheep, horses, dogs and cats, and having friends and family members gather there. She continued to breed, ride and show horses until two major riding accidents, the last of which, at age 71, made future riding nearly impossible. Nona loved birds, flowers and growing things. She was also a fast and fun friend; and frequently gathered friends together with wonderful, simple dinner parties. Nona is survived by her sons, John J. Miller of Los Angeles, CA, and Thomas E. and wife Jamie E. Evans Miller of Kalamazoo, her sister Barbara J. Norton of Northridge, California, and her three grandchildren, Genevieve B. Miller, Janine B. Miller, and James T. Miller. Funeral services for Nona will be at 4:00 PM on Tuesday, March 29th, at First United Methodist Church, 212 S. Park Street, Kalamazoo, with Rev. John Boley officiating, with an open house following from 6-8 PM at the home of Tom and Jamie Miller. Friends may visit with the family from 4-7 PM on Monday today at Langeland Family Funeral Homes, Westside Chapel, 3926 S. 9th Street, Kalamazoo. Private interment will be in Ross Center Cemetery, Augusta. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to the Cheff Therapeutic Riding Center.