Ermine Miller

Ermine “Becky” Hatfield was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, on July 25, 1929. She is a direct descendant of General James Robertson, an early explorer and companion of Daniel Boone, Father of Middle Tennessee, and co-founder of Nashville. Her great-grandfather, James Constantine, was a jeweler and owned a clock shop in Dublin, Ireland. She was nicknamed “Becky” after a character in the 1922 play/1926 movie, “Abie’s Irish Rose.” Becky was the eldest child of Henry and Mai Hatfield and sister to William “Bill” and Lillian “Lil.” She grew up in Louisiana in the town of Monroe and spent many summers in Coushatta with her great-aunt Ermine “Erk” Stothart Cagle at the hotel that Erk and her husband, Steve, owned.

Becky’s family moved to Houston in the early 1940’s when she was a teenager. She studied at the University of Houston, where she took a class in fencing among other subjects. At a party she attended in 1949, Becky met Clifford Newton Miller, Jr., who was also a student at the University of Houston, and they married on Veteran’s Day of that year. Clifford and Becky started a family, and she lovingly cared for their children at home while he worked and studied for his degree in chemistry. He was commissioned in the Army and served in the Korean War. They had four children from 1951 to 1955: Kathy, Cliff, Elise, and Will. In 1965 they had their fifth child, Sarah. As Chief Chemist at Diamond Shamrock and BF Goodrich, Clifford was assigned to establish plastics labs in São Paulo, Brazil; Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, Canada; and Serbia in the former Yugoslavia. Becky traveled with him, and they enjoyed touring these and surrounding countries. Becky was a caregiver, along with Bill and Lil, for their mother and father. Clifford was diagnosed with Parkinson’s, and Becky cared for him until his death in 2009. She was a member of the First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, Massachusetts.

Becky, devoted mother and wife, died in Palmdale, California, with family by her side, on December 12, 2018. She was almost 89 ½ years old.

Becky is preceded in death by her mother, Mai Constantine Hatfield; father, William Henry Hatfield; aunt, Ermine “Puddin” Constantine; brother, William Hatfield, sister Lillian Melton, and husband, Clifford Newton Miller, Jr.

She is survived by five children and their spouses, eight grandchildren and six great-grandchildren:

Kathleen Ermine, her husband, Ret. Col. USAF James Judkins and their son, Matthew Thomas Judkins.

Clifford Newton Miller, III, and his wife, Averian Miller, and Cliff’s children: Candace Yvonne Fox and her husband, Aaron Fox; Clifford “Cory” Newton Miller, IV; Alexander Turner Miller, his wife, Allison Miller, and children Alice Breeze Miller, Adelyn Berlin Miller, Zander Bellum Miller, Zane Brutus Miller, and Zaiden Brave Miller; Andrew Hatfield Miller and his wife, Brianna Miller.

Elise Inez Miller.

William Hatfield Miller, his wife, Jill Miller and their children: Kiley Rae Miller and Benjamin John Miller and Ben’s son, Brayden Lee Miller.

Sarah Ann Miller and her son, Isaac Miller Minter.