Elinor May Miller's Obituary
Elinor May Miller, n??e Buress, was born on April 4, 1924 to Vernie and Edna Buress in Morgan County, Colorado. The daughter of dryland farmers, Elinor helped out around the family farm and had many memories of living in the dustbowl during the Great Depression. Her family moved to Loveland, Colorado where she attended high school until her graduation in 1942.Following high school graduation, Elinor took a job at Mountain States Telephone, based in Fort Collins. She fondly recalled operating the old-style, manual switchboards to connect calls. Elinor excelled in this role and was given the opportunity to act as executive secretary to the group manager of the telephone company. Later in her lifetime, Elinor worked for the Brevard County School Board of Melbourne, Florida for ten years. She worked in kindergarten as a teacher’s aide, and oversaw a learning program for the class.Elinor Buress was courted by her sweetheart Milton Patrick “Pat” Miller, also from Loveland, Colorado. Pat served as an Army Air Corps pilot during World War II, and they married after the war in 1946. Elinor served her family as homemaker, caring for her two children: Beverly Sue and Michael Robert. Family remained a big part of her life until her passing on April 12, 2015, and she enjoyed recounting precious – and a few “hair-raising!” – memories at holiday gatherings.In addition to homemaking, volunteering was an important part of Elinor’s life. She was very active as a PTA and Girl Scout volunteer, as well as volunteering in with the Easter Seal Rehabilitation Center in Melbourne. She also volunteered as an aide in a preschool classroom for physically handicapped children. Elinor often said this was the most rewarding and interesting volunteer experience she ever had.Elinor retired to Shell Point with Pat nearly 20 years ago and her social calendar quickly filled up. An avid volunteer, Elinor served on the Gift Shop board and the King’s Crown Resident Council, as well as with the Women’s Ministries and at The Village Church.Elinor was predeceased by her husband Pat, and sister Mary. She is survived by her sisters, Myrtle and Betty; her two children, Beverly Patten and Mike Miller; and her two grandchildren, Sarah Nadal and Hannah Patten.Elinor will be remembered as a source of wisdom and support by all those who knew and loved her. She believed in finding the positive in all circumstances, and was gracious to everyone she met. Her cheerful, generous heart and bright smile will be missed.A Committal Service will be celebrated by Rev. Ken Nesselroade at 9:00 AM on Wednesday, April 15, 2015 in the Gazebo adjacent to the Garden of Serenity at Fort Myers Memorial Gardens Cemetery, 1589 Colonial Boulevard, Fort Myers, Florida 33907, (239) 936-0555. At the conclusion of the service, Elinor will be laid to rest next to her beloved husband at the Serenity Mausoleum.Arrangements for Elinor’s final care have been entrusted to Fort Myers Memorial Gardens Funeral Home and Cemetery. Those who would like to offer condolences to the family, leave a tribute or share a story about Elinor are urged to visit her memorial webpage at www.fortmyersmemorial.com and sign the guestbook.
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