Catherine Miller

Catherine “Katie” Miller was a loving, kindhearted woman who touched the lives of everyone who knew and loved her. Katie was perfectly happy spending time with her family and didn’t need thousands of flashy distractions in her life. She cherished them with all her heart, caring for them in times of need and celebrating with them in times of joy.

The year was 1924 and Calvin Coolidge had assumed the Presidency after the death of President Harding the year before, while prohibition laws were creating legends out of gangsters and bootleggers and J. Edgar Hoover became the head of the FBI. The Charleston dance craze set the tempo for what would come to be known as the “Roaring 20s.” On September 4th of this year, in Saginaw County, Michigan, little Catherine arrived into the world. She was the second of five children born to Louie and Bernice (Nethaway) Perry.

With the stock market crash of 1929, the close-knit Perry family struggled along with the rest of the country to make ends meet, and moved around quite a bit. Despite the hardships, Katie, as she was called, was always an easygoing and happy child, who loved to run around outside and have fun with her many friends. Her mother encouraged her musical talents by teaching Katie to play the piano, and later she took to playing the accordion too.

Katie received her education in the Ovid area schools, and was an excellent student. It was during her years at Ovid High that Katie met Jack B. Miller, who was 2 years older than her. The two were just friends throughout high school, but then started dating after graduating. As fate would have it, Jack and Katie fell in love and were happily married on July 1, 1945. The newlyweds settled into married life together in the house Jack was born and raised in, and resided here for many years. As a young couple, Jack and Katie liked to go out dancing to have some fun. Sadly, Katie lost her father in a tragic car accident in 1953.

Katie and Jack were blessed with four wonderful children: Susan, Debra, Alan, and Tom who brought them great pride and joy. Katie was a caring and attentive mother who took an active role in every phase of her children’s lives. Time together as a family was always important and she and Jack loved taking their kids to Lobdell Lake near Fenton in the summer. They later bought a camper and took many memorable camping trips too. Katie loved being outdoors among nature and under the stars. In later years, she and Jack would pack their rods and reels and head to Platte River in Traverse City every spring and summer to do some fishing for steelheads and in the fall for salmon.

Aside from family and fishing, Katie enjoyed many other hobbies too, like playing cards, dominos and doing puzzles with her many friends. She was also the family photographer, and took countless pictures over the years of their great vacations and get togethers. When not behind the camera, Katie loved to be in the kitchen cooking or baking up something special for her family. Every Sunday, she made a roast beef dinner, which was often accompanied by one of her fabulous homemade pies. In the fall, when hunting season for pheasant opened, Katie made buckwheat pancakes for breakfast every day until the weather warmed up in May.

Throughout her life, Katie considered her family to be her greatest gift and blessing. She loved to be surrounded by the love and smiles of her children and grandchildren. Although Katie’s life was happy, it was also marked by great sorrow when she lost her beloved husband, Jack, in 2004, after 59 years of marriage. Katie found great comfort in her family and friends through these trying times. She also enjoyed going to the senior dinners at the United Church of Ovid. However, after Katie suffered a stroke, her health began to steadily decline. Then, on January 10, 2010, Katie fell and later died of her injuries on Friday, January 15, 2010, at the age of 85.

A loving wife, mother and grandmother, Katie will be greatly missed and remembered forever.

Katie is survived by her daughters: Susan Miller of Ovid, Debra Tomasek of Howell; son, Alan (Maureen) Miller of Ovid; daughter-in-law, Shirley Miller of Ovid; 8 grandchildren, 9 great grandchildren; sisters, Philina Curtis, Lois Green, Marilyn (LeRoy) Walker; sisters-in-law, Lois Perry, Pauline Miller; and several nieces and nephews. In addition to her husband, Katie was preceded in death by her parents, son, Tom Miller, and brother, Lawrence Perry.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, January 18, at the Houghton Chapel of the Osgood Funeral Homes in Ovid with Pastor Greg officiating. Burial will follow at Maple Grove Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 2-8 p.m. on Sunday, January 17, at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association or the United Church of Ovid. Please visit Katie’s personal memory page at www.lifestorynet.com where you may share a memory with her family or sign her online guest book.