Beverly J Anderson Miller

East Lansing, Michigan

Beverly Jean (Anderson) Miller, age 87, died July 27, 2011. She had been a resident of Burcham Hills in East Lansing since 2003.

Beverly was born in Kansas City, MO, November 3, 1923 to Lee and Frances Anderson. She grew up in Fort Collins, CO, and graduated from high school there. She then attended Colorado A&M College and graduated in home economics in 1944. She also married her high school sweetheart, Mason E. Miller, on Sept. 30 of that same year.

During WWII, she served briefly as a railroad telegrapher trainee. When her husband returned from overseas military duty, she followed him to the University of Colorado in Boulder where she worked in the University book bindery for 35 cents an hour. Their first daughter, Denise Rae Miller was born in Boulder.

They then moved to Evanston, IL, while her husband worked on a master’s degree at Northwestern University. A second daughter, Nancy Ann Miller, was born while they were at Evanston.

After graduation, the family moved to Pullman, WA, where her husband joined Washington State College. During those 10 years, she was active as a leader in Bluebirds and Campfire Girls. Her third child, Douglas Lee Miller was born there.

In 1959, the family moved to East Lansing, MI. She worked as music librarian for MSU’s music department at that time and later she earned a master’s degree in home economics at MSU.

Trained as a vocational home economist, she taught high school home economics first at Michigan Center, MI, and then at DeWitt, MI for a total of 11 years. Then the couple moved to Fairfax, VA where she worked as a home economist demonstrating household appliances and the latest cooking techniques with microwave appliances.

In 1983, she and her husband moved to Arkansas where he worked for Winrock International. They retired from there in 1987 and moved back to northern Virginia. For two winters the couple operated the visitor center at Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park, as volunteers.

In 1992, they moved from northern Virginia to Edgewater, MD, near Annapolis. Bev was active with her husband in Self Help for Hard of Hearing People, Annapolis Power Squadron, and various senior center activities. In 2003, the couple moved to Burcham Hills Retirement Community in East Lansing.

She is survived by a sister, Nancy Baillie of Duarte, CA; daughter, Nancy Ann Moore of Three Rivers, MI; son, Douglas Lee (Jeanette) Miller of Haslett, MI; son-in-law, David (Pam) Brown of Brookeville, MD; grandchildren, Meagan Agostinelli, Aaron Moore, Casey Moore, Allyson Miller, and Kelly Miller; and five great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 65 years, Mason E. Miller and her daughter Denise Rae Brown.

A memorial service will be held in the Ada Whitehouse Room at Burcham Hills Retirement Community, 2700 Burcham Drive, East Lansing on Tuesday, August 2, 4:30 pm. The family will receive friends a half hour prior to the service. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Burcham Hills Retirement Community or Heartland Hospice, 865 S. Cedar, Mason, MI 48854 in Beverly’s memory. The family is being served by Gorsline Runciman Funeral Homes, East Lansing. On line condolences may be made at www.gorslineruncimaneastlansing.com.