Florence Miller

Florence Ann Wilson Miller joined her sweetheart Wednesday, June 20, 2018 after almost two decades apart. She was a special lady with much more spunk and wit than most. She was soft and caring but could speak fluent sarcasm when called for and had a great sense of humor. She was a building, a creator at heart and a tireless worker who could work circles around anyone. Unlike most of her life, she passed peacefully.

Florence was born to John L and Evelyne "Louise" Holden Wilson in Idaho Falls, Idaho on May 11, 1932. Her grandmother, Mary Ann Holden, was the midwife who brought her into the world. Florence was the youngest of three children. Her parents divorced shortly after her birth. Her two older siblings, Barbara and Bruce, went to live with their father. Florence stayed with her mother and widowed Grandma Holden.

The advantage of living with her grandmother was that Florence was always surrounded by aunts, uncles and cousins. She loved to play baseball in the streets with the neighborhood boys until it was too dark to see the ball. In the evenings, while listening to the radio Grandma Holden, Louise and Florence would embroider or crochet. This was the early beginning of her love for the fine needle work. The Holden women were well-known in the Idaho Falls area for their gifted singing where Florence's love of good music and performance was born. Her favorite cousin was Mary Greta Van Dyke. As children, Mary Greta would design homes and Florence would decorate the interiors. Whenever she could manage it, she went to the Saturday movie matinees. All of these experiences gave her a good foundation for the rest of her life.

Florence had the usual education: Eagle Rock Elementary, O.E. Bell Junior High and Idaho Falls High School where she graduated in 1950. In high school she took bookkeeping which she turned into a career. She had an obsession for the order of totting up numbers in neat rows.

Florence's life took a left turn when her Grandmother Holden passed away. Florence became the head of the house at age 11 because her mother's handicap. Florence had no fear of hard work. Grandma Holden had worked tirelessly and taught Florence to do the same. To provide financial support while in junior high school and high school she went to work cleaning homes, babysitting, cooking with her mother during the summer for farm hands at local farms, adding up the sales tickets at the Coca Cola Bottling Plant, as a dispatcher at the taxi stand, flipping hamburgers at the drive-in and clerking at Woolworth's Five & Dime store while maintaining good grades and an immaculate house.

Florence had a serious secret crush on the very handsome Donald Lee Miller. She couldn't believe it when he asked her to go the movie "Chicken Every Sunday" with him. She quickly agreed, even though she was already committed to go to that same movie, the same day with another guy. So she went to the matinee with first guy and the evening show with Donald. They fell madly, hopelessly in love. When they got married on August 4, 1950 in Idaho Falls their two hearts really became one. They were completely united in their goal to create a big family filled with love, which they did. First came her daughters: Catherine Ann, "Katie"; followed by Victoria Jo, "Josie"; and four boys (she always wanted a lot of boys) Michael Lee, "Big Sock"; Randy John, "Little Sock"; Kent Hayden; "Kenny"; Steven Paul, "The Baby" (they were big on nicknames). She also opened her heart and home to everyone. Once you entered her life, you were family; for example ask Janet Jones Parkin, whom she loved and treated like her own daughter.

Florence and Don loved to work hard and play just as hard with their family. Family life was a mixture of family home evenings, family plays and pageants, pick-up baseball games, bowling, board games, chase games, gardening, travel, fishing, good literature, music lessons, etiquette lessons, camping, music concerts, and theater. They wanted their children to experience the good things in the world as well as develop deep religious roots.

To help enable her family to experience all of these things, Florence worked outside her home her whole adult life. She worked as a bookkeeper in Idaho Falls for Simplot Soilbuilders, The Post Register, an interior design firm, a gardening center, Andrew Well-Drilling; and in Pocatello for Gambles Department Store and Cowboy Oil. She also taught evening adult education classes in bookkeeping at Idaho State University.

An entrepreneur at heart, Florence's first endeavor was a costume business called G & F Costume Company in Idaho Falls (it disbanded when "G" moved away); a china painting studio and finally she opened the Heirloom Shoppe in Pocatello. It featured every kind of needlework, cake decorating, weaving and spinning. The name changed to Florence's Attic in 1979. She dropped everything except needlework and it featured knitting machines. She also authored two books about knitting machines. She finally closed the "Attic" at age 82.

Raising a big family, working full time and playing hard were not enough for her. She was active in the PTA, Lions Club, Pocatello Music Club and Les Salon Litteraires, in addition to being a performer, director, costume designer and make-up director in community theater in Idaho Falls and Pocatello.

Florence was a very active, life-long member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She loved the gospel and served faithfully in a myriad of leadership callings and magnified them all to their fullest; sharing her strength, talents and testimony with many, many people. One of her joys was watching others grow and reach their potential.

In January 2000 her sweetheart passed away just short of their 50th wedding anniversary. Don was truly the wind beneath her wings. Her children and friends tried to fill that void, but it was not possible. She spent the next 18 years missing him and wanting to be with him again. Finally, they are reunited; he has his "Mrs. B" again.

Family left behind who will greatly miss her are Cathy (Jon) Mottishaw, Pocatello, Idaho; Vicki (Randal) Eggleston, Portland, Oregon; Mike (Penny) Miller, Mountain Home, Idaho; Randy (Nyla) Miller, Nephi, Utah; Kent (Jennifer) Miller, Castle Rock, Colorado; and Steve (Pearl) Miller, Boise, Idaho; 30 grandchildren; 55 and a half great-grandchildren. Those who rejoiced to be with her again are her husband, Donald Lee Miller; grandson, Mark David Eggleston; great-grandsons Victory Morgan Eggleston and Lucas Miller.

The family is grateful and thankful to Friends and Family Home Care and Heritage Home and Hospice for allowing Florence to spend her last days at home with her family.

Funeral services will be held Monday, July 2, 2018 at the West Pocatello LDS Stake Center, 3444 Hawthorne Road. A viewing will be held prior to the services beginning at 9:45 am. Interment will be at 3:00 pm in the Ammon City Cemetery.

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