Anne G. Miller

ONEONTA, NY - Anne Gates Miller, 92, of The Plains at Parish Homestead, Oneonta, passed away August 13, 2016
Born March 14th, 1924, in Ashland, Ohio, Anne was the daughter of Elizabeth (Donley) and James Edgar Gates. She had a brother, Richard, who died in childhood.
Anne was a graduate of Ashland University and received a master's degree in library science from Case Western Reserve University in 1969.
Married to Richard C. Miller in 1948, they lived for many years in Willoughby, Ohio, where they raised a family. Lifelong educators, Anne and Richard followed this passion from Ohio to New York City, Oneonta, NY, and Wallingford, Vermont. Anne was a professional librarian and worked at Butler Library at Columbia University and for the Milford Central School system as a librarian, until she retired in 1981.
She and Dick started vacationing at Elfin Lake in Wallingford starting in 1965, returning every summer for a two-week stay. They fell in love with Wallingford and the quiet lake community. In 1976, they built their log home, retiring to their beloved Elfin Lake in 1981. Anne served the community by being a long-time member of the Friends of Gilbert Hart Library, library consultant to local schools including Stratton Mountain School, The Long Trail School, and by serving as a Rutland committee member of the Vermont Symphony Orchestra. She was an active member of the Grace Congregational Church in Rutland, VT. Anne returned to Oneonta in 2013.
Anne loved books and reading, often reading many at the same time. History and genealogy were her passions and her interest took her on many adventures in the Northeast and abroad, visiting cemeteries and court houses. She instilled her love of reading in her own children and the many children that passed through the libraries she served.
Fiercely independent, she forged on after Dick's death 24 years ago. She loved to get in the car and drive to visit friends and family but hated eating alone when she traveled. She had hoped to visit every covered bridge in VT but fell a few short. Classical music and the local VPR station were always playing and trips for a concert or the opera were frequent.
Anne was predeceased by her parents, James Edgar and Elizabeth Donley Gates; her brother Richard Donley Gates; and her husband, Richard Clark Miller.
She is survived by her 4 children and spouses: Thomas and Marilynn Miller in New Holland, PA, David and Ann Miller in Houston, Texas, James and Pamela Miller in Middletown, CT, and Nancy (Miller) and Bob Scanlon in Oneonta, NY. She is also survived by 12 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren.
There will be a memorial service for Anne in Oneonta at the First Presbyterian Church at 296 Main St. (Next to City Hall) at 10 a.m. Saturday, August 20th.
A 2nd service will be held at the Grace Congregational Church in Rutland, VT, at 10 a.m. Saturday, September 24th.
Books and Libraries were Anne's passion so, in lieu of flowers, friends can make donations to the Gilbert Hart Library, 14 S. Main St., Wallingford, VT 05773.