CLEO CHRISTINIA JOHNSTON MILLER
CLEO CHRISTINIA JOHNSTON MILLER WAS BORN OCTOBER 25, 1910 IN JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP, RINGGOLD COUNTY, IOWA, THE DAUGHTER OF JAY ELBERT AND ELVA OSBORN JOHNSTON. CLEO PASSED AWAY FEBRUARY 9, 2008 AT THE AGE OF 97.
ON MAY 19, 1934 SHE WAS UNITED IN MARRIAGE WITH MERRILL JONES MILLER AT THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH PARSONAGE IN CRESTON, IOWA. THEIR FIRST HOME WAS ON A FARM NORTH OF DIAGONAL. TO THIS UNION WERE BORN TWO CHILDREN, LOREN DUANE AND MARILYN YVONNE.
CLEO GREW UP AND LIVED 63 YEAS IN THE DIAGONAL COMMUNITY. UPON RETIRING FROM THE FARM, SHE AND MERRILL MOVED INTO CRESTON WHERE SHE LIVED THE REST OF HER LIFE.
CLEO ATTENDED RURAL SCHOOLS AT JEFFERSON CENTER IN JEFFERSON TOWNHIP, RINGGOLD COUNTY, GRADUATING FROM DIAGONAL HIGH SCHOOL IN 1928. (SHE WAS ABLE TO ATTEND HER 75TH CLASS REUNION IN 2003.) SHE THEN ATTENDED CEDAR FALLS STATE TEACHERS COLLEGE AND COLLEGE SUMMER SCHOOL AT RED OAK AND SHENANDOAH, IOWA. CLEO TAUGHT SCHOOL AT CORINTH COUNTRY SCHOOL FOR ONE YEAR AND JEFFERSON CENTER COUNTRY FOR THREE YEARS. HER TRANSPORTATION TO AND FROM SCHOOL WAS BY HORSEBACK.
CLEO WAS BAPTIZED INTO THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH AT SHANNON CITY, IOWA. FOLLOWING THE CLOSING OF THE CHURCH IN SHANNON CITY, THE FAMILY MEMBERSHIP WAS TRANSFERRED TO DIAGONAL. UPON MOVING TO CRESTON, CLEO WAS A MEMBER OF THE FIRST CHRISTIAN DISCIPLES OF CHRIST.
CLEO ENJOYED EMBROIDERING, CROCHETING AND ESPECIALLY QUILTING. SHE QUILTED MANY, MANY QUILTS FOR OTHER PEOPLE AFTER MOVING TO CRESTON, AS WELL AS TO SEE EVERY GRANDCHILD HAD ONE OF HER QUILTS. CLEO WAS A CHARTER MEMBER OF THE FRIENDLY NEIGHBORS CLUB, WHICH WAS ORGANIZED ON DECEMBER 13, 1933 AND UPON MOVING TO CRESTON, STILL REMAINED A VERY ACTIVE MEMBER UNTIL THE CLOSING OF THE CLUB AFTER 67 YEARS. CLEO LOVED THE OUT-OF-DOORS AND HER DAYS ON THE ON THE FARM. SHE AND MERRILL CONTINUED TO RAISE A BIG GARDEN AFTER MOVING TO CRESTON OF WHICH CLEO CONTINUED IN A SMALLER FASHION UNTIL HER 90TH BIRTHDAY AND THAT FALL WHEN THE GREAT GRANDSONS CAME TO SPADE IT UP FOR HER, SAID NO, I’VE PLANTED MY LAST GARDEN. SHE LOVED HER FLOWERS INSIDE AND OUT AND STILL LOVED THEM IN HER ROOM AT CRESTON NURSING AND REHAB.
CLEO LOVED TO PLAY CARDS OF WHICH SHE AND MERRILL GOT TOGETHER VERY OFTEN TO PLAY WITH HER SISTERS AND HUSBANDS, VERN AND MARGUERITE AND DONALD AND ESTHER. STILL AT THE AGE OF 95 SHE COULD NOT WAIT FOR THE NEXT FAMILY GATHERING OR JUST A KNOCK AT THE DOOR AS ONE OF HER GRANDKIDS, GREAT-GRANDKIDS OR OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS AND RELATIVES CAME TO VISIT. HER LIFE WAS HER FAMILY:
PRECEDING HER DEATH WERE HER HUSBAND, MERRILL, IN 1982; HER PARENTS, BERT AND ELVA JOHNSTON; MOTHER AND FATHER-IN-LAW, MERRILL (PETE) AND EFFIE MILLER; SISTERS, MARGUERITE AND ESTHER; THEIR HUSBANDS, VERN OSHEL AND DONALD BUTT; BROTHER, LOREN ELBERT IN 1919; BROTHERS-IN-LAW, LEONARD MILLER (WIFE DOROTHY) AND RAYMOND MILLER (WIFE CORYL); SISTER-IN-LAW, OPAL SYDNESS (HUSBAND MELVIN) AND BROTHERS-IN-LAW, EDWARD MILLER AND CLAIR MILLER.
CLEO IS SURVIVED BY HER SON, LOREN (MARCIA) MILLER OF DUNNEGAN, MO.; DAUGHTER, MARILYN (DANA) LARIMORE OF CRESTON, IOWA; GRANCHILDREN, KIM WALTERS OF CRESTON, IOWA; STEVE (DANA) BROWN OF ELK HORN, IOWA; KEVIN (ANDREA) BROWN OF DALLAS, TX.; DENNIS (JUNE) MILLER OF TRENTON, IL.; LORA MILLER OF DUNNEGAN, MO.; LINDEN (BRENDA) MILLER OF PROLE, IOWA AND DAVID MILLER OF PHOENIX, AZ.; STEP GRANDCHILDREN, DAVID (TAMI) LARIMORE OF OGDEN, IOWA; DOUG (MINDY) LARIMORE OF AMES, IOWA AND DAWN BLACK OF AMES, IOWA; GREAT GRANDCHILDREN, JAMIE BEGGS AND CASEY BEGGS (SPECIAL FRIEND ASHLEY TRACY) OF CRESTON, IOWA. STEFFENIE BROWN, MATTHEW BROWN AND PATRICK AND DANIEL BROWN OF ELK HORN,IOWA; DEREK MILLER (FIANCE ALICIA) OF TRENTON, IL.; MICHAEL MILLER OF TRENTON IL.; AND RODNEY MILLER NORWALK, IOWA; STEP GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN, VALERIE LARIMORE OF ROCHESTER, MN.; KADI LARIMORE OF LAWLER, MN,; ERIN (ERIC) STEFFENSEN OF ANITA, IOWA, ROBIN (CLINT) JESSEN OF EXIRA, IOWA; JAKE, TAYLOR, AND JOE LARIMORE OF AMES, IOWA; JESSE BLACK AND BROOKE BLACK; GREAT-GREAT-GRANDCHILREN, SAMANTHA AND JAYDEN MILLER OF DES MOINES; STEP-GREAT-GREAT GRANCHILDREN, ETHAN, EYON AND EVA STEFFENSEN OF ANITA, IOWA; TWO SISTERS-IN-LAW, ERMA MILLER AND JUNE MILLER OF ALBUQUERQUE, NM AND MANY NIECES AND NEPHEWS;
SERVICES WERE CONDUCTED AT THE FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH(DISCIPLES OF CHRIST) IN CRESTON ON WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2008 AT 10 A.M. WITH REV. DR. DIANA C. LEAF OFFFICIATING. MUSICIANS WERE JUDY NEWTON AND JOHN ALLEN. REGISTER BOOK ATTENDANTS WERE KIM WALTERS AND LORA MILLER. WILSON-WATSON ARMSTRONG FUNERAL HOME HANDLED THE ARRANGEMENTS.
CASKET BEARERS WERE DENNIS MILLER, STEVEN BROWN, KEVIN BROWN, LINDEN MILER, DAVID MILLER AND JAMIE BEGGS.
HONORARY PALLBEARERS WERE CASEY BEGGS, MATTHEW BROWN, PATRICK BROWN, DANIEL BROWN, DEREK MILLER, RODNEY MILLER, MICHAEL MILLER, DAVID LARIMORE, DOUGLAS LARIMORE AND STEFFENIE BROWN.
CLEO WAS LAID TO REST IN THE OAKLAND CEMETERY IN SHANNON CITY.
