Barbara Miller

Barbara Miller, age 79, passed away in Austin on May 11th, 2019. She was a beloved mother, grandmother, army wife, volunteer, garage sale aficionado, slot machine bandit, craft queen, and gift giver extraordinaire. She lived a full life.

A grocer’s daughter, Barbara Ann Bradley grew up in Poolville Texas. Her ability to charm started when she was young, winning Parker County’s most beautiful baby award in 1939. She was blessed with the beauty and graces of a Southern woman, complemented with Texas grit. Visits to the beauty shop were a weekly pilgrimage. There, she honed her wit, clever attitude, and spicy sense of humor. She was a lifetime member of the First Baptist Church of Poolville.

She captured many hearts and held on for 51 years to her steadfast husband Donn, who will miss their shared love of adventure, road trips, and dining out. They lived in Kentucky and Korea, settling in Copperas Cove Texas in 1976, then moving to Austin in 2018. She loved to travel, going to Hawaii, Alaska, Italy and all over the continental United States. In her later years, she treasured visits to the casinos with Eddie and Jeannie.

Barbara loved crafts and volunteering. She was chair for the Officer’s Wives Club Ceramic Shop and also was chair at the Ft. Hood Thrift Store. She made treasured custom ceramics and beautiful boxes out of costume jewelry.

Her language of love was giving gifts. It could be plants from her garden, something she made, something new, a treasure found at a garage sale or the thrift shop, or a pie from Jim’s. She never showed up empty handed.

She loved her grandchildren most of all, and never missed their events. Her favorite holiday was Christmas, for her it was magic. When a grandchild loved a present, she would proclaim she “scored!” Holidays were not complete without her signature beloved and highly anticipated rum cake.

For Barbara, her family and friends were everything. She suffered a traumatic brain injury, falling in early December 2018. She fought valiantly just to spend more time with her loved ones. She was and will always be our “Christmas Miracle”.

Barbara was preceded in death by her beloved parents Edward and Sybil Bradley of Poolville, Texas. She leaves behind her husband Donn Miller; daughters Tammy and Bob Burns and Karen and David Brenner of Austin Texas; brother Eddie and Jeannie Bradley of Poolville, Texas; sister in law Deanna Turner of Austin; grandchildren Amber and Kirt Andrews, Ryan and Kali Nuttall, Bradley Burns, Elli Burns of Austin; Matthew and Nhu Burns of San Francisco, California; Rachel and Charlie Saginaw of Salt Lake City, Utah and Jimmy Brenner of Portland, Maine; great-grandchildren Kennedy, Ian, Shaun and Austin. She had a special love for her nieces, Lori Bradley and Roger Duke of San Diego, California; and Lana Bradley and Miles Winters of Denver, Colorado. She also leaves behind treasured friends, too many to mention.

“Mom, (Barbara) thanks for always being there. Thank you for the best gift you ever gave: time with, and memories of, you. We will miss you.”

Visitation is Thursday, May 16 from 5-7 pm at Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Home, 3125 North Lamar Blvd, Austin, Texas 78705, Memorial service is Friday, May 17 at 3pm at Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Home; Graveside service will be Saturday, May 18 at 1 pm at the Poolville Cemetery in Poolville, Texas. https://www.wcfish.com/obituaries.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Texas Brain Injury Alliance, www.texasbia.org.