Lilly Katherine Miller

Lilly was born at home in Louisville, Kentucky on September 8, 1926 to Leonard and Katherine McCawley. She was their first child and the eldest of six. Her lifelong friend was Catherine whom she met in school and they continued their friendship up until Catherine passed away. Lilly was an avid speller in school and won many spelling bees.

Lilly met the love of her life James Miller in 1943. One night she asked her sister to throw her suitcase out the window and she told her parents she was going to the store to buy a loaf of bread. Needless to say they never got their bread because Lilly and James ran away and eloped. They got married on August 17, 1943 at the ages of 17 and 18. Their wedding dinner consisted of corn on the cob stolen from a corn field.

Over the years they welcomed thirteen children into the world. All of them were born in Kentucky with the exception of the youngest who was born in Oregon.

Lilly enjoyed playing bingo, Texas hold ‘em, and any kind of dice and card games. She had a mouth of a sailor and would make up her own words when she would get mad and lose while playing those games. She enjoyed crocheting up until her hands starting cramping too bad for her. Lilly loved going to the casino, fishing, working her puzzle books and watching her favorite game shows. She also liked playing solitaire and bingo on her iPad and scrolling through Facebook looking at pictures. Did I mention she liked to play bingo?! Sometimes her legs would hurt and as soon as you say bingo she was walking like she was never in any pain at all.

Lilly had a heart of gold and never met a stranger. Everywhere she went she would tell people about how many kids, grandchildren, great grandchildren and great great grandchildren she had. She loved to travel and would often take a Greyhound bus from Kentucky to Oregon even though the fumes bothered her. During her lifetime she went camping several times with family, took a cruise to Aruba, visited the beaches in Florida and Virginia, seen Mount Rushmore and traveled all around the United States. She could always tell you how many miles until the next town.

Lilly was proceeded in death by her parents; Leonard and Catherine McCawley, brothers; Freddy, Leonard and Phillip, sisters; Florence and Cordella, her husband James Miller, children; Angela Miller, Larry Miller and Diane Madison grandchildren; Logan Davis, Jaime Miller, Darren Alexander and Robert Wittig.

Survivors include Gail Schepers, Jimmy Miller (Doris), Sandy Bodner, Patricia Ashfaq (Mohammad), David Miller (Donna), Anita Wittig (Gary), Rita Whitfill, Pamela Peak, Cynthia White Denny (Bill), Michael Miller (Liz) along with 36 grandchildren, 64 great grandchildren, 22 great great grandchildren.

Lilly's funeral will be Tuesday, January 16, 2024 at 1PM at Advantage Funeral Home Hardy Chapel10907 Dixie Hwy. Bural will follow at Bethany Cemetery. Visitation will be from 4-8 PM Monday, January 15 and 11 to the service time Tuesday at the funeral home.