Melvin L. Miller

Melvin Louis Miller, 87, died peacefully on Sunday, January 11, 2015 at Good Samaritan Health Care Center, Yakima, WA with his daughter, Jackie, at his side. He was born May 9, 1927 in Cedaredge, Colorado to Irvin E. & Frances M. Miller. He married Frances E. Ehrhardt in 1948 and they made their home in Yakima, raising 2 daughters. He suffered a deep void when he lost both his wife and oldest daughter to cancer at young ages.

Mel was a Christian man and people saw his faith in how he lived. He would give a stranger the last dollar he had or the shirt off his back. He had a smile and a twinkle in his eye for everyone and was fondly called “Smiley”! He retired from Snokist Growers and prior to that worked in the logging industry for many years. He was a member of the Christian Life Center (originally the Church of God) and drove the Sunday school bus for many years, often using the little money of his own to buy the gas. Back in the day (the 50’s), he was a grounds-keeper for Parker Field at YVCC. He told the story of a late night double-header baseball game that needed the field watered and worked for a next day game, only to fall asleep and awake to a very flooded field. He chanted his familiar “Oh-h-h Baby!” as he told how he worked his tail off to get that field ready by game time!

He is survived by his daughter, Jackleen Martin; his grandson, Keith Miller; 1 great-grandson, Nicholas Miller; and 3 nieces, the Kopp girls: Connie Hauver, Pam Bright and Cheri Ruby.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his sister, Arlene Kopp; his wife Frances E. Miller and his daughter, Virginia (Susie) Miller.

Viewing will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, January 14, 2015 at Langevin--El Paraiso Funeral Home, 1010 W. Yakima Ave. The funeral will be at 1 p.m. Thursday, January 15 at the funeral home, with burial to follow in Tahoma Cemetery, Yakima. To celebrate the life of Melvin and share a memory visit www.lepfuneralhome.com.