Elida Miller

Elida was born in Quanah, Texas, on November 29, 1944, and was the third of ten children born to Guadalupe and Pedro Rivera. With her three sisters and six brothers, the family worked together often eventually calling Michigan home. Elida graduated from Springport High School and enrolled in Grand Rapids School of Bible and Music College where she met her husband, Charles, a fellow student. They both transferred to Michigan State University where she pursued an education curriculum until they married on April 2, 1966.

She was a devoted wife, mother, and a kindergarten aide for many years at Alaiedon Elementary School in Mason, MI, teaching and guiding many children through their first year of school. Even after retirement, she continued her purpose, caring for pre-school children in day care and often taking her book bag to read at Sunday School and was an anticipated guest reader at North Aurelius Elementary School in her grandson’s classrooms. She could make stories come alive and spent her personal time also sharing her strong faith by teaching Bible stories to her children and others, using flannel graphs, in her home and at several local churches over the years.

She instilled a love of reading in her children and encouraged them to also write clearly, speak well, and to understand the power of words. She was masterful at the English language happy to edit a school paper, and she spent many hours editing her husband’s book. She enjoyed sewing and knitting, making twirly dresses for her young daughters and a suit for her son, along with special afghans for the grandchildren. She appreciated the beauty of flowers, planting them in the family’s vegetable garden and when she no longer could, she would take a chair to the garden and her husband would plant them for her. She cherished music, listening to Broadway soundtracks along with many treasured gospel hymns that she sang along with throughout her life. She looked forward to meeting up with her lunch group, friends, and family, where her quick wit and smile were always present. She talked to her children and grandchildren about her faith and was proud of their educational accomplishments, careers, and talents in cross-country and track, art, dance, and singing.

Elida is survived by her children, Charles (Kelly) Miller III of Mason, MI, Alicia Miller of Mason, MI, and Nicole Miller of Gilbert, AZ; her grandchildren, Paul Berstler, Angelique Bailey, Lily Berstler, Chase Miller, and Rose Berstler; siblings, Maria (Peter) Gonzalez, Ermelinda (Robert) Glenn, Catalina Beasley- (Mark) Martin, and Robert (Sandy) Rivera; along with many cousins, nieces, nephews, brother and sisters-in-law, and friends. She is preceded in death by her beloved husband, Charles William Miller Jr., her siblings, Fred, Gilbert, Carlos, Pedro, and Juan; and her parents.

A two-hour visitation for Elida will be held on Tuesday, November 26, 2024, at 10:00 AM at Gorsline Runciman Ball-Dunn Chapel, 661 South Jefferson Street., Mason, MI 48854. Her service will be at Noon and following the service, Elida will be laid to rest next to her husband in Maple Grove Cemetery, 213 N. Jefferson St., Mason, MI 48854.