A celebration of the life of Margene Miller, 95, of Jefferson was held Aug. 19 at Slininger-Schroeder Funeral Home in Jefferson.
Pastor Matt Glawe of Lubbock, TX, offered words of comfort. Congregational singing was accompanied by Mary Ann Haver, with Rob Clause as song leader. Honorary bearers were Margene’s grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren Kevin Minnihan, Tracey Durham, Alan Durham, Kara Minnihan, Debra Harrington, Dwayne Harrington, Amanda Triemstra, Dan Triemstra, Ashley Meads, Matthew Meads, Kate Minnihan, Matthew Harrington, Sage Minnihan, Ethan Triemstra and Reagan Meads.
Casket bearers were Matt Minnihan, Dennis Ostrander, David Rasmussen, Kris Hoskins, Dave Wright and Roger Wright.
Interment was at the Jefferson Municipal Cemetery.
Margene Miller was born June 12, 1922, in Grand Junction, IA, and passed away Aug. 15, 2017, at age 95 at Iowa Methodist Medical Center, Des Moines, after a brief illness.
Margene Miller was preceded in death by her husband Armen Miller; her parents A.R. and Mary Clause; her sisters Marietta, Elizabeth and Ramona; and her brothers Gerald, Robert and Roger.
She is survived by her daughter Claudia (Bruce) Liljegren of Jefferson; seven grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren; sisters-in-law Dena Clause and Dorothy Clause, both of Jefferson; many nieces and nephews; and other relatives and friends.
Armen and Margene were united in marriage on Nov. 17, 1944. They moved to Wilmington, DE, after their marriage and lived there until Armen was discharged from the Air Force. They then moved to Greene County to start farming. They attended the Farlin Church of Christ until it closed . They then placed their membership with the Carroll Church of Christ.
Vacationing every year was important to them. They made several trips to Colorado, Mexico and Hawaii. One of their very special adventures was traveling to Africa. She and Armen also enjoyed antiquing which led her to giving talks about her various collections.
After Armen’s death in 1995, Margene remained on the farm before moving to Federal Way, WA, to live with her daughter Claudia and son-in-law Bruce Liljegren. She lived in Washington and was a member of the Federal Way Church of Christ for seven years.
In October of 2011, Margene returned to Jefferson to live out her remaining years at The Gardens and became a member of the Ogden Church of Christ. She lived her life with a strong faith in the Lord and trusted in Him for everything.
Margene was an active member of the Unity Club, Rebekahs, and Jefferson Garden Club. She judged flower arranging completions and did flowers for weddings. She was a volunteer member of the hospital auxiliary for 35 years. She taught Sunday school for 50 years and was a 4-H leader for 20 years. She served on the cancer board and New Hope Village board.
Margene loved having her family around. Her friends were precious to her and she enjoyed getting to know new people always sharing a joke with those around her. She was also an avid reader, followed many sports, especially NASCAR and college basketball, and loved learning.
Memorials are suggested for the Ogden Church of Christ, the Greene County Medical Center auxiliary, and the Iowa 4-H Foundation.
