Lavina R. Miller

July 23, 1924 – Oct. 8, 2010

In loving Memory.

Lavina Rozeal Miller passed away on Friday, October 8, 2010 at Pikes Peak Hospice.

Lavina Johnson was born on July 23, 1924 in Banner County, Nebraska to Emil Johnson and Anne Sophie (Olsen) Johnson. Lavina was the youngest of thirteen children. She grew up on a homestead in a rural area known at that time as Flowerfield, Nebraska.

Lavina graduated from Banner County High School. She married Forrest William Miller on April 20, 1942 in Ogallala, Nebraska. The couple lived in Torrington, Wyoming and both worked in a bakery. Forrest was in the naval reserves and would soon serve in the Navy in WWII. Lavina then moved to California and spent the next four years working at various jobs and following Forrest’s ship from port to port up and down the West Coast. She had jobs from icing cakes in bakeries to assembling machine guns at the ship yards.

Forrest was Honorably Discharged on October 11, 1945 and the couple moved back home and settled in Gering, Nebraska where they started their family. They moved to Sidney, NE for a few years where Forrest started a bakery with a partner. In 1957 they moved to Colorado Springs where Forrest worked at Table Pride Bakery and Lavina started her career at Duckwalls. In 1959 the couple bought a home in Security, Colorado, and Lavina lived there for 51 years. Lavina worked at Duckwalls in Security and in 1968 the couple bought a bakery, named it Miller’s Pastry, and ran it for a number of years. After selling the bakery, Lavina worked at Alco as a clerk and cashier until it closed.

Lavina was active in the Good Shepherd United Methodist Church and the Fountain Valley Widowed Club. She loved to cook, garden and craft and took pleasure in sharing her handiwork with others. She made herself available to anyone in need.

Lavina is preceded in death by her husband, Forrest (July 1985), her parents, five sisters and five brothers and a grandson, Jeffrey Theilig. She is survived by her children Connie Theilig (Gene) of Colorado Springs and Michael Miller, also of Colorado Springs, granddaughter Kami (Theilig) Rowlan, five great grandchildren, Riley Theilig and Kallie Kraklio of Davenport, Iowa and Gavin, Gage and Gannon Rowlan of Colorado Springs.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Pikes Peak Hospice or Good Shepherd United Methodist Church.

A visitation will be held from 5:00 – 7:00pm on Tuesday, October 12, 2010, at Memorial Gardens Funeral Home. Services will be at 11:00 am on Wednesday, October 13, 2010 at Good Shepherd United Methodist Church, 1201 Leta Dr., 80911.

Please visit www.memorialgardensfuneralhome.com for more information and to leave condolences for the family.

Arrangements under the direction of Memorial Gardens Cemetery & Funeral Home, Colorado Springs, CO.