Edith (Edie) Miller

Surrounded by her loving family, Edith "Edie" Miller of Bellingham went to be with the Lord on January 23,2026 at the age of 91.

On July 31,1934 she was born in Pease, Minnesota to Peter and Lena (Polinder) Schutte. In 1941 the family moved by train to a small farm in Strandell (near Everson) where she attended a small school (which is now the auction barn). They moved with her mother and eight siblings to Bellingham in 1945 after the death of her father. She attended school in Bellingham and graduated from Bellingham High School in 1952 where she excelled in her studies, lettered in sports, was on the makeup crew and most importantly fell in love with her future husband. After high school she drove to Camp Pendleton/Oceanside area and married her high school sweetheart, Larry (Lawrence) Parks who was in the Marines, and she then returned home to Bellingham during his deployment to Korea. After the military, in 1955, they settled in Bellingham and soon started a family which grew to six children over a span of 15 years. They had such enormous love that four of the children were chosen by them through adoption and became their own.

After Larry went to be with the Lord, Edith met Bud (Harley) Miller at a Bible study at church, and they were married February 1,1980 and she welcomed his family as hers. They celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary last year.

Edith accepted Jesus into her heart and life as a child and her faith and trust in Him grew over the years. Her faith was lived out in so many practical ways. She was first and foremost a dedicated wife, mother, grandma, great grandma, sister, sister-in-law, aunt, cousin and friend. Her love was unconditional. No one was a stranger to her. She was loving, friendly, fun, giving, forgiving, witty, a little stubborn, smart, very curious and practical. She loved holding the babies, playing with the grandkids and taking them on outings and on outdoor adventures with Bud. Over the years there was an "open door" policy for relative gatherings, neighbors, kids, friends, and youth groups. Many temporarily were welcomed to live in their home while going through tough times or for medical reasons. Some of the grandchildren view her more than a grandma as she brought motherly stability to their lives.

In her younger years she picked berries, worked on her sister's raspberry farm, was a telephone operator, waitress, did door-to-door census and other odd jobs. She was a housekeeper later on and retired at the age of 81. She told of one day in her late 70's that she was locked out on an upper deck where she was cleaning (no cell phones) and shimmied down a tree to the ground to the horror of a watching neighbor. She gardened and canned, was an excellent seamstress (could create and fix anything) and knitted argyle socks and sweaters. She enjoyed the church nursery, attending church and Bible studies and women's retreats. Larry and Edith were among the original families of the Bellingham Christian School and helped clear the land and were involved in the building of the current school. She drove the Volkswagen van (bus) to shuttle kids to and from school. Bud was involved with Search and Rescue, so she was a caller on the phone tree contacting those going out on searches. They also took a few trips to Victory Bible camp in Alaska to work on the building project and cooked for the campers and workers. One trip involved taking three of her granddaughters to experience camp while she served in the kitchen.

Her motto was "you don't know unless you try" ...which led her to many adventures: beach combing, rock hunting, camping, fishing and later on biking, cross country skiing, hiking and rock and mountain climbing. She summited Half Dome in Yosemite (rock climbing with safety gear) along with Bud and 4 others. She enjoyed a family trip to Maui in 2019, annual family picnics at Deception Pass, annual family Christmas dinners at church and pinochle games with her sisters. Going to garage sales was an avid hobby, always finding that "something special" and "the bargain" to the delight of the recipient, even bedding and hats for those reaching out to the homeless.

Edith was always concerned about the welfare of others before herself even if she was in pain or struggling. This was displayed during her last days in the hospital asking about the welfare of others she loved. She is greatly missed, and we thank the Lord for her many years with us and how she influenced our lives and who we've become today. We look forward to that day of being together again either at the Lord's return or when He takes us home. John 3:16.

Edith was preceded in death by her husband, Larry (Lawrence) Parks; parents Peter and Lena (Polinder) Schutte; brothers LeRoy Schutte, Dick Schutte; sisters Katherine McAfee, Angie Schutte, Mildred Lehman, Joan Schutte; daughter Karen Tatom; stepsons Eric Miller, Scot Miller, granddaughter Rachael Ratelle and many other relatives.

She is survived by her husband Bud (Harley) Miller; sisters Lucy Ogar and Judy Velthuizen Halliburton (Jim); sons Mark Parks, Andrew Parks (Juvy), Brian Parks; Daughters Teresa Christensen, Janet Nickerson (Patrick); stepson Michael Miller; stepdaughters Catherine Ratelle (Steve), Joy Roth (Steve). She has 18 grandchildren, 29 great grandchildren, 2 great, great grandchildren and many other relatives and family.

There will be a graveside service on February 27, 2026, 11:00 a.m. at Greenacres Cemetery in Ferndale followed by a Memorial Service at 1:00 pm at Immanuel Bible church in Bellingham.

In lieu of flowers please send donation in Edith’s name to the Lighthouse Mission or Immanuel Bible Church.