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Juanita ‘Mickey’ M. Miller, 90

Juanita “Mickey” M. Miller, 90, died Thursday, Dec. 18, 2014, at her residence at The Lighthouse at Lakeside Village in Omaha.

Services were Tuesday, December 23, at Northwest Hills Church in Omaha with interment in the Fort Calhoun Cemetery.

Mickey was born on Feb. 3, 1924, in Omaha, to Joseph and Gertrude Stanley, the oldest of four children. She had a wonderful childhood growing up with her younger sisters, Arlene and Gladys, and younger brother Richard at their home on 46th and Fowler. When she wasn’t helping to watch over the antics of her three siblings, she spent time going to Fontenelle Park on 46th and Ames and walking all over the neighborhood with her friend Katie Cloyd Krejci. Walking to Katie’s house, they’d regularly stop and eat mulberries on the way. She was a Viking and attended North High School.

She met the love of her life, Clayton Miller, when they were 15 years old while ice skating – being introduced by mutual friends. On Aug. 15, 1942, at age 18 they married and a couple of months later Clayton headed to the Army as a part of World War II. While Clayton was serving in the war, Mickey worked at the Martin Bomber plant and also purchased their first home together, a little house on 38th Street, on weekends enlisting the help of her little sister, Gladys, to help paint and fix up the house in anticipation of Clayton getting out of the service. During this time, she gave birth to the first of their four children, a daughter they named Sunny Rae.

Times were hard and money was scarce; there were times when Mickey and Clayton even needed to pool their funds with their good friends Carol and Bob Rhoades to purchase a pound of hamburger, but they enjoyed their life together.

In 1960, after living for years in their house on Military Avenue, they purchased their farm that would be their home for the next 50 years. Although Mickey was a city girl, she gamely followed Clayton and adjusted to life among farm animals and crops, at times chasing pigs out of her garden with a broom and learning how to pluck a chicken with the best of them.

Clayton and Mickey had many, many happy years together. Throughout their 70-year marriage, she and Clayton did a lot of living, having a lot of wonderful times as well as some very hard times, including the loss of their oldest child Sunny at age six in an accident over Labor Day weekend in 1949. Mickey and Clayton ’s life was filled with their three remaining children, Susan, William and Laurie, as well as their many grandchildren and great‐grandchildren, taking trips as an entire family to Disney World, having family gatherings and just enjoying each other’s company. They were very involved with the church, teaching Sunday school for many, many years.

Mickey really enjoyed being behind the camera at family gatherings and documenting her family’s life by making photo albums. Even though she loved taking the photos, she was never interested in being in front of the camera and, as her family knew quite well, could get rather testy if you wanted to take her picture.

Mickey passed away peacefully in the company of family. She was loved by many and missed by many more, but especially by her family.

Mickey is survived by her loving family: daughter Susan Miller of Kennard, son William (Marcel) Miller of North Carolina, daughter Laurie (Peter) Massa of Omaha, nine grandchildren and 11 great‐grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Clayton; her daughter, Sunny; and her sister, Arlene.

Memorials may be directed to the Alzheimer’s Association at Alzheimer’s Association‐Nebraska Chapter, 1941 South 42nd Street, Suite 205, Omaha, NE 68105 or Northwest Hills Church, 9334 Fort Street, Omaha, NE 68134.

Omaha World Herald 21 Dec 2014

Miller, Juanita M. "Mickey" Feb 3, 1924 - Dec 18, 2014 Age 90 of Omaha. Beloved mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. Preceded in death by husband, Clayton; daughter, Sunny. Survived by children, Susan Miller, William (Marcel) Miller, Laurie (Peter) Massa; 9 grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; siblings, Richard Stanley, Gladys Stone; family and friends. VISITATION Monday 5-7pm at mortuary. FUNERAL SERVICE 10am Tuesday at Northwest Hills United Church of Christ, 9334 Fort St. Interment Fort Calhoun Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials to Northwest Hills United Church of Christ or Alzheimer's Association Nebraska Chapter. ROEDER MORTUARY - 108th St. Chapel 2727 North 108th St. 402-496-9000 www.RoederMortuary.com

~~~ Obituary courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair Public Library at Blair, Nebraska.~~~