Anna Marie Miller
June 22, 1921 — August 28, 2016
With family members at her side, Anna Marie Graham Miller, 95, of Ottawa passed into the arms of her Savior on August 28, 2016. She was born on June 22, 1921 to James and Winifred Laura (McGrath) Graham of rural Marseilles, the fifth of their eight children. As a child, she and her brothers and sisters walked a mile and a half each way on dirt and gravel roads or an occasional shortcut through a neighboring pasture to a one room elementary schoolhouse in Grand Rapids Township. In order to attend high school, Anna Marie performed domestic work for an Ottawa family in exchange for her room and board and graduated from St. Xavier Academy (presently Marquette Academy) in Ottawa in 1939. During World War II, she worked as a secretary at the Ration Board in Grand Ridge.
On February 28, 1946, Anna Marie married Robert Warren Miller at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Marseilles after his discharge from the U.S. Navy at the end of the war. Anna Marie and Robert made their first home in Ottawa. Then in 1947, following the tragic death of her brother, Arthur, Anna Marie and Robert moved from Ottawa to Grand Rapids Township to the farmhouse where she had been born and raised. There they took over operation of Anna Marie’s parents’ farm in Arthur’s stead and raised their family of seven children. Throughout their many years on the family farm, Anna Marie and Robert were active and faithful members of St. Joseph Catholic Church. Anna Marie was passionately pro-life and enthusiastically involved in the Cursillo and Catholic Charismatic Movements. She also served on the parish Funeral Committee and was involved with WATCH (We Are The Church) at St. Joseph Catholic Church.
Throughout her life, Anna Marie was known as a good neighbor, a hard worker and a person who cheerfully and sacrificially served others. Although being a farm wife and mother of seven children would have been challenging enough for most people, Anna Marie found herself called into the role of caregiver on several occasions. Besides caring for her own mother in her declining years, she later welcomed her father-in-law into their home and cared for him for several years as well. After her father-in-law passed away, Anna Marie’s husband, Robert, became disabled. Even as she was in the midst of caring for his significant needs, her daughter-in-law was stricken with a terminal illness. Anna Marie found herself serving as caregiver not only to her husband but also to her daughter-in-law and served as “Mom” to her son and daughter-in-law’s six young children. Anna Marie’s strength for each day was found in prayer and her trust in the Lord.
Anna Marie was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Robert, three brothers: James (Mary) Graham of Ottawa, Francis (Rita) Graham of Marseilles and Arthur Graham of Marseilles, and three sisters: Dorothy Graham (Ed) Wentz of Mendota, Loretta Graham (Victor) Bokus of Ottawa and Patricia Graham (Philip) Hanson of Troy Grove. She is survived by her beloved sister, Arlene Graham (Donald) Miller of Ottawa and by her children Joyce Anne Miller (Gary) Halm of Ottawa, Janis Marie Miller (Ron) Plattner of Congerville, Robert Joseph (Mary) Miller of Marseilles, Elaine Therese Miller (Michael) Sheridan of Streator, James Patrick (Nancy) Miller of Savoy, John Arthur (Cheryl) Miller of Marseilles and Kenneth Paul (Mary) Miller of Ottawa. She is also survived by twenty grandchildren and forty-seven great grandchildren. Although she was “Mom”, “Grandma” or “Great Grandma” to so many, she never forgot a name or missed a birthday or anniversary.
A visitation for Anna Marie will be held at the Ottawa Funeral Home from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 31, 2016, with praying of the Holy Rosary beginning at 3:45 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be concelebrated by Father Walter Miller, her brother-in-law, and Father Anthony Dittmer, a family friend, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Marseilles at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, September 1, 2016. Afterwards, she will be laid to rest next to her husband in the St. Columba Cemetery in Ottawa.
A eulogy will be delivered by Jason Kotecki, husband of granddaughter Kim Halm Kotecki of Madison, WI.
Anna Marie’s pall bearers will be grandsons Bill Miller (Marseilles), Danny Miller (Marseilles), Matthew Miller (Plainfield), Paul Miller (Indianapolis, IN), Peter Miller (Springfield), Brian Plattner (Galesburg), Michael Sheridan (Ottawa), and Rick Sheridan (Santa Cruz, CA).
Memorials in Anna Marie’s honor may be made to Marquette Academy, Divine Word Missions, the local Food Pantry or Hope Life Center.
With family members at her side, Anna Marie Graham Miller, 95, of Ottawa passed into the arms of her Savior on August 28, 2016. She was born on June 22, 1921 to James and Winifred Laura (McGrath) Graham of rural Marseilles, the fifth of their eight children. As a child, she and her brothers and sisters walked a mile and a half each way on dirt and gravel roads or an occasional shortcut through a neighboring pasture to a one room elementary schoolhouse in Grand Rapids Township. In order to attend high school, Anna Marie performed domestic work for an Ottawa family in exchange for her room and board and graduated from St. Xavier Academy (presently Marquette Academy) in Ottawa in 1939. During World War II, she worked as a secretary at the Ration Board in Grand Ridge.
On February 28, 1946, Anna Marie married Robert Warren Miller at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Marseilles after his discharge from the U.S. Navy at the end of the war. Anna Marie and Robert made their first home in Ottawa. Then in 1947, following the tragic death of her brother, Arthur, Anna Marie and Robert moved from Ottawa to Grand Rapids Township to the farmhouse where she had been born and raised. There they took over operation of Anna Marie’s parents’ farm in Arthur’s stead and raised their family of seven children. Throughout their many years on the family farm, Anna Marie and Robert were active and faithful members of St. Joseph Catholic Church. Anna Marie was passionately pro-life and enthusiastically involved in the Cursillo and Catholic Charismatic Movements. She also served on the parish Funeral Committee and was involved with WATCH (We Are The Church) at St. Joseph Catholic Church.
Throughout her life, Anna Marie was known as a good neighbor, a hard worker and a person who cheerfully and sacrificially served others. Although being a farm wife and mother of seven children would have been challenging enough for most people, Anna Marie found herself called into the role of caregiver on several occasions. Besides caring for her own mother in her declining years, she later welcomed her father-in-law into their home and cared for him for several years as well. After her father-in-law passed away, Anna Marie’s husband, Robert, became disabled. Even as she was in the midst of caring for his significant needs, her daughter-in-law was stricken with a terminal illness. Anna Marie found herself serving as caregiver not only to her husband but also to her daughter-in-law and served as “Mom” to her son and daughter-in-law’s six young children. Anna Marie’s strength for each day was found in prayer and her trust in the Lord.
Anna Marie was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Robert, three brothers: James (Mary) Graham of Ottawa, Francis (Rita) Graham of Marseilles and Arthur Graham of Marseilles, and three sisters: Dorothy Graham (Ed) Wentz of Mendota, Loretta Graham (Victor) Bokus of Ottawa and Patricia Graham (Philip) Hanson of Troy Grove. She is survived by her beloved sister, Arlene Graham (Donald) Miller of Ottawa and by her children Joyce Anne Miller (Gary) Halm of Ottawa, Janis Marie Miller (Ron) Plattner of Congerville, Robert Joseph (Mary) Miller of Marseilles, Elaine Therese Miller (Michael) Sheridan of Streator, James Patrick (Nancy) Miller of Savoy, John Arthur (Cheryl) Miller of Marseilles and Kenneth Paul (Mary) Miller of Ottawa. She is also survived by twenty grandchildren and forty-seven great grandchildren. Although she was “Mom”, “Grandma” or “Great Grandma” to so many, she never forgot a name or missed a birthday or anniversary.
A visitation for Anna Marie will be held at the Ottawa Funeral Home from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 31, 2016, with praying of the Holy Rosary beginning at 3:45 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be concelebrated by Father Walter Miller, her brother-in-law, and Father Anthony Dittmer, a family friend, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Marseilles at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, September 1, 2016. Afterwards, she will be laid to rest next to her husband in the St. Columba Cemetery in Ottawa.
A eulogy will be delivered by Jason Kotecki, husband of granddaughter Kim Halm Kotecki of Madison, WI.
Anna Marie’s pall bearers will be grandsons Bill Miller (Marseilles), Danny Miller (Marseilles), Matthew Miller (Plainfield), Paul Miller (Indianapolis, IN), Peter Miller (Springfield), Brian Plattner (Galesburg), Michael Sheridan (Ottawa), and Rick Sheridan (Santa Cruz, CA).
Memorials in Anna Marie’s honor may be made to Marquette Academy, Divine Word Missions, the local Food Pantry or Hope Life Center.
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