Linda Lou Miller

9/18/1944 – 4/13/2024

Beloved wife, mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, sister-in-law, aunt, friend, and neighbor, Linda Lou Miller, age 79, of Gresham, Oregon passed away on Saturday, April 13, 2024, surrounded by her loving and heartbroken family. At Linda’s request, no service will be held.

Preceded in death by her parents and siblings, Linda is lovingly remembered and sorely missed by her husband of almost 59 years, Larry L. Miller, devoted daughters Connie Perry and her husband, Walter, of Vancouver, WA and Crystal Harwood, her husband, Byron, and grandchildren Anthony and Tammy of Beaverton, OR. She also leaves behind her loved and adored kitties--Abby, Sunny, and Tessie.

Linda was born to Willard and Mary (Lane) Euler in Boulder, Colorado, where she grew up with older siblings Dorothy “Jeanie”, Richard “Dick”, and Clifford. She graduated from Campion Academy in Loveland, Colorado in 1962. She went on to study nursing at Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska. It was there, in speech class, that she met the love of her life, Larry. They married on July 11, 1965, in Boulder. They lived in Lincoln until Larry graduated then moved to Denver, Colorado for Larry’s job. They had two daughters-- Connie and Crystal, while in Denver, before moving back to Boulder. There were many picnics and camping trips in the Colorado mountains and adventures in the family’s blue Chevy Blazer. As members of a “Jeep Club” there were daring drives up and down some very steep terrain. In 1979 work took the family to live briefly in Texas before another move to Portland, Oregon in 1980. Linda and Larry have lived in Gresham, Oregon for the last 30 years. Linda was a lifelong Seventh-Day Adventist and a member of the Sunnyside SDA church in Portland for the past 44 years.

Linda had many jobs through the years, working in her teen years as a “candy striper” hospital volunteer, a nurses’ assistant, and a bakery worker. In college she worked part-time for the college laundry service. After a few years off raising her girls and always fascinated by things medical, she returned to work in various medical settings—clinics, doctor’s offices, Care Oregon (insurance), and dialysis centers doing front office work. She did venture into the financial sector for several years, working at Laurelhurst Federal Credit Union (Now NW Adventist FCU) starting as a bank teller and working up to loan/mortgage services. One time during her service at the credit union, she was held up at gunpoint! And it was on her wedding anniversary, no less! Linda ended her work career at Providence ElderPlace, retiring on her 65th birthday, which conveniently fell on a Friday.

Linda was a very creative person, expressing herself through her fantastic cooking and baking, as well as creating a variety of beautiful handmade treasures. She learned to sew as a young woman, a hobby she enjoyed throughout life. She was a great seamstress, sewing not only her own clothes, but clothes for her daughters as they were growing up. When the kids were little, she also sewed fancy dresses to specification for a designer in Denver, as well as private clients, to supplement the family’s income. She was able to sew anything from curtains to choir uniforms to wedding dresses, even sewing daughter Crystal’s wedding gown. She also enjoyed counted cross stitch, getting somewhat addicted after realizing it wasn’t as hard as she’d always thought it would be. After retirement Linda finally had the time to take some quilting and hand applique classes, which she greatly enjoyed. She loved to make beautiful handmade creations to decorate their home or to share with those around her, beautiful things to be treasured and displayed and used.

Linda’s other hobbies included walking up to 30 miles a week, and occasionally going on short trips and day trips with Larry. They explored the Pacific Northwest, enjoying their trips to the coast, Bend & Crater Lake, Leavenworth, Port Angeles, Bandon, the wildlife refuge in Ridgefield, and Hood River. Linda also loved flowers, helping Larry with planting flowers in their beautiful yard as well as going to tulip fields, lavender farms, dahlia farms, and the rose gardens.

Linda kept a beautiful home, always a warm and happy place. She would decorate to reflect the seasons and holidays, and she enjoyed family gatherings immensely, especially Christmas. Several autumns, Linda planned fun costume/dress-up parties for the family. She would decide a theme for the party with decorations and food matched to the theme, and everyone coming up with a costume fitting the theme. Laughter was abundant, sometimes she would get so tickled she’d go into one of her “laughing fits” and we’d laugh until we cried.

Linda loved her family, and was always helpful, supportive, and protective of those she loved. She loved all things cat, jigsaw puzzles, playing table games on Saturday night, Hallmark movies, Dr. Pepper, reading, watching doctor shows on TV, flowers (especially daffodils!), chocolate chip cookies, bakeries, quilt shops, the ocean, the mountains, cook-outs at Oxbow Regional Park, and the occasional drink from Dutch Bros or Black Rock.

Almost exactly 2 years prior to Linda’s death, she received a cancer diagnosis. She was scared, as we all were, but she courageously went through chemo and surgery with good results. Many other health challenges were yet to come her way, with a stroke in Jan. 2023 that affected her speech and her right arm/hand. She recovered much of her speech but struggled to regain much function in her right/dominant hand. Despite the struggles her mantra was “I can do it!”, and she inspired all of us with how hard she worked to adapt and overcome. She was very sad to lose the ability to drive, to do much in the kitchen, or do her handicrafts that she loved so much. She had another major setback a year ago when she fell and broke her hip and shoulder. She had a rough time, but she was very motivated to get stronger and back home to Larry and the kitties. A few months back her cancer showed signs of recurrence, and she prepared to resume chemo. We all hoped for more time, but it wasn’t meant to be. Linda was so grateful, as is her family, for all the expert, compassionate care she received at Providence Portland Medical Center until the time of her death.

Everyone whose life Linda touched will remember and miss her always. The family is respecting Linda’s request that no service be held. We can honor Linda by being kind to each other and smiling when something reminds you of her. For those who might wish to donate in memory of Linda, the family suggests remembrances to 3ABN, the 3 Angels Broadcasting Network, which was very important to her, especially during the pandemic and during these last few years of her life. 3ABN - Three Angels Broadcasting Network

Rest well, Linda, until that glorious day when we shall meet again. “See you in the morning.”