Margaret M. Miller

Margaret M. Miller Battle Creek Margaret Mary Miller, 89, of Battle Creek, died June 19, 2009, at home. She was born Margaret Mary O'Dea on December 19, 1919, to Benjamin O'Dea and Ellen (Linden) O'Dea in Newtownards, County Down, Ireland. She grew up in Lackaroe near the village of Liscarroll, County Cork, Ireland, the oldest of seven brothers and sisters. She left home at age 17 to train as a nurse in England and served there as a registered nurse throughout the Battle of Britain and World War II. Margaret met her husband, Rex Earl Miller of Battle Creek, Michigan, at a dance at the ballroom of the Dorothy Hotel in Cambridge, England, while he was serving as a B-17 radio operator with the 560th Bomb Squadron of the 8th U.S. Army Air Force. They were married on January 6, 1945, in Thetford, England. After his transfer back to the United States she followed him with their newborn son on a war bride ship arriving in New York on St. Patrick's Day 1946. In Battle Creek she worked briefly for the American Legion Hospital and for Kenneth Lowe, M.D., before forging a 26-year career at Community Hospital mostly in the Emergency Room. She retired in 1985. Margaret was a parishioner at St. Philip Catholic Church from 1946 until her death. She belonged to St. Philip Council of Catholic Women, Legion of Mary, Irish American Club, Club Italia, Scottish Society of Southwest Michigan and Leila Arboretum Society and served on the Nursing Education Advisory Committee of Kellogg Community College. She became a naturalized American citizen on May 27, 1955. One of her proudest achievements in retirement was her role in bringing the Paddy Noonan Irish Variety Show from New York City to Battle Creek in 1991. Her parents, her husband who died in 1964, her sister, Elizabeth Stock and her brother, Stephen O'Dea preceded her in death. Surviving are sister, Eileen O'Dea and brothers, Thade, Benjamin and William O'Dea all of County Cork, Ireland, and 26 nieces and nephews as well as many grand nieces and nephews in Ireland and England. Also surviving are her children, Stephen (Patricia) Miller and Mary (Roger) Rossman of Battle Creek and Eileen (Randy) Poole of Atlanta, Georgia as well as grandchildren, Benjamin and Elizabeth Miller; Alex, Maggie and Caitie Rossman and Maureen, Amy, and Stephen Poole. Margaret was the mother of a Calhoun County circuit court judge and the grandmother of a Calhoun County commissioner. The family will receive friends from 5 until 7:00 p.m. today, Sunday, June 21, 2009 at Shaw Funeral Home where a Rosary will be recited at 7:00 p.m. Mass of Christian Burial will take place 10:00 a.m. Monday, June 22, 2009 at St. Philip Catholic Church with Rev. Fr. Charles Fischer officiating. Interment, Mt. Olivet Cemetery. Memorial donations may go to St. Philip Catholic Church. The family is being served by Shaw Funeral Home. www.shawfuneralhome.com