SOUTH BEND – Ruth Irene Miller, 97, formerly of South Bend, and having resided the last three years in Warsaw, passed away at 1:43 p.m. March 6, 2012, in Miller’s Merry Manor, Warsaw.
She was born May 30, 1914, in Noblesville, to Harry Alva and Delia Eva Pitts Smeltzer. On May 4, 1936, in Culver, she married Culver W. Miller, who died July 26, 1965.
She graduated from Culver High School in 1932. She was a beautician in the late 1930s and early 1940s at Hannock’s Beauty Shop, South Bend. Starting in 1969, she worked for Little Dutch Cleaners. She retired from White House Systems, where she was a seamstress. Most importantly, she was a stay-at-home mom.
She attended both Grace Baptist Church, Granger, and Emmanuel Baptist Bible Church, Niles, Mich. She dearly loved her church and was active in calling and visiting shut-ins, providing meals and her true love, working in the nursery at church. She was a soul-winning evangelist.
Surviving are a daughter, Saundra (and spouse Hubert) Kennedy, Warsaw; two sons, Terry Miller, Elgin, S.C., and Jerry (and spouse Ruth) Miller, Champlin, Minn.; nine grandchildren: Beth Ann (and spouse William) Wells and Belinda (and spouse Lynn) Cole, all of Warsaw; Barbara Sims, Ohio; Terry Miller Jr., Andrea Boatwright and Nathan Miller, all of Elgin; Elizabeth Wilder, Kershaw, S.C.; Paul (and spouse Kristee) Miller, St. Paul, Minn.; and Dan (and spouse Stacie) Miller, Mound, Minn.; 13 great-grandchildren; and four great-great-grandchildren. She also was preceded in death by her parents; a grandson, William Wells; two sisters, Marie Cultice and Anna Mae Cultice; and a brother, Raymond Smeltzer.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Palmer Funeral Home – Hickey Chapel, 17131 Cleveland Road, South Bend, with the Rev. Brad Lomax officiating. Graveside services and burial will be in Highland Cemetery.
Calling is from 10 to 11 a.m. Saturday at the funeral home. ***** Memorials may be made to Emmanuel Baptist Bible Church (for the nursery), 216 Beeson Road, Niles, MI 49120.
Condolences may be sent via www.palmerfuneralhomes.com
