Marlene Miller

September 16, 1944 - October 18, 2024

Marlene Kay (Troyer) Miller of Cloudcroft, NM, formerly of Kalona, IA, died peacefully of cancer surrounded by family and friends on October 18, 2024. She leaves behind her husband, Daniel; sons, Andrew (his wife, Cortney) and Nathan; grandchildren, Grace and Lila Mae of Arlington, VA, and Sadie of Le Claire, IA; and her brothers, Omer (Mary Jane), Loren (Kathy), and Clayton (Laverna) Troyer. A Celebration of Life will be held at the Cloudcroft United Methodist Church at 11:00 am on Saturday, November 23, 2024, with a memorial service held at a later date in Kalona, IA.

The daughter of Lloyd and Erma Stutzman Troyer, Marlene attended a one-room country school, Brush #1. After graduating high school from Iowa Mennonite School, she earned a B.A. in Education from The University of Iowa and an M.A. in English as a Second Language from Indiana University. She later became a certified school librarian while teaching in the El Paso Independent School District for three decades. After marrying Dan Miller on September 8, 1967, the couple traveled and taught in Kenya, Somalia, and Ethiopia. Their first son, Andrew, was part of their early global adventures and Nathan was born during their time in Ethiopia. Dan and Marlene later added Europe, China, Australia, and South America to their itineraries, often in the form of voluntary missions on behalf of their church. They especially valued how world cultures respected the beliefs of others.

Both as a professional teacher/librarian for 40 years and as a volunteer in local school libraries and in Sunday school classes, Marlene prized books and opening the minds of children to the joy of reading. In retirement, Marlene helped establish a library at a private Christian school in Ecuador. She was an active participant at the library for the Casa de Fe Orphanage, also in Ecuador. Marlene was also involved in the Methodist Church's community action organization, Mountain Moving Women.

Marlene's passionate advocacy for literacy and volunteerism was outweighed only by her devotion to her friends and family. She cherished the fellowship that she and Dan shared with a worldwide network of friends and was thankful for the fulfillment that those relationships offered. Marlene loved her family dearly. Her commitment to family was a testament to the values she held dear. And, in the final years of her life, she was grateful to her family for the compassion and support they offered to her and Dan. Her legacy of love and learning will be forever celebrated through her sons and granddaughters.

Preceding Marlene in death are her parents Lloyd and Erma Troyer and sister Carolyn Troyer, and her father- and mother-in-law, Roy and Amy Miller.

May Marlene's spirit be forever free and her memory live on in all whose lives she touched.