Dorothy Irene Miller

Dorothy Irene McCoy was born prematurely on November 11, 1924, weighing only 2 ½ pounds and small enough to fit in a shoe box. Born to Charles “C.O.” and Maggie at their home on a farm near Edina, Missouri, Dorothy was in need of medical care that was not available in her time and place. Snug in her shoe box bed, however, she was kept warm in their kitchen on the oven door, and with lots of TLC and prayers, Dorothy had everything she needed to survive her initial ordeal and develop into a strong and healthy woman. Dorothy was the oldest of five children, two of whom died shortly after birth, and she and her brother, Paul, and sister, Norma, helped their mother tend to all of the chores. Being raised on their farm in the northern Missouri countryside during the Great Depression, Dorothy developed a work ethic and thriftiness that lasted her entire life. She had very fond memories of her life on the farm and growing up in Edina, Missouri. During World War II, the shortage of newly manufactured cars made it difficult for Dorothy’s father to make a living at his car dealership, so he packed up the family and moved to Devil’s Elbow, Missouri where he established a combination restaurant, gas station, and dance hall business to serve the local residents and the construction workers and soldiers from nearby Fort Leonard Wood. Dorothy enjoyed school and being the good student that she was, and not wanting to leave her friends, she stayed with a family in Edina to finish high school. After finishing high school in 1942 and moving to Devil’s Elbow, Dorothy met Atholl “Jiggs” Miller, and he would visit her at her dad’s dance hall where she sometimes worked. Jiggs lived in Dixon, Missouri with his family and he loved to go dancing. Devil’s Elbow became the place to be for the things he loved the most…dancing and Dorothy. In 1943, Dorothy had to share Jiggs with the U.S. Army until he was discharged on October 15, 1945, and wasting no time, they were married on November 11th, Dorothy’s birthday. About the same time, Dorothy’s father decided to get out of the dance hall business and built a building that consisted of several very small apartments, a general store and the post office. Dorothy continued to work for her father until she and Jiggs bought the grocery store business from him. In 1954, they built a new building for the grocery store which was known as Miller’s Market for 30 years. Dorothy worked with Jiggs in the grocery store until she had children, but she then stayed very busy at home and took her roles as mother and wife very seriously. She applied the work ethic that she developed back on the farm into making her house a home and providing a loving and nurturing environment for her family. Dorothy had a passion for cooking and baking and it was very important to her that she prepare three meals every day for her family, which always included dessert. She devoted weeks to preparing food for Thanksgiving and Christmas. She had an expansive knowledge of food and home care that she was always prepared to elaborate on when the opportunity was there. The recipes that Dorothy collected and perfected are still treasured by her family today and have been preserved in cookbook form for the family to pass on. When she lived in Edina, Dorothy was baptized and confirmed in the Methodist Church. After moving to Devil’s Elbow and getting married, she was rarely successful in convincing Jiggs to attend church, but she did take Charles and Sue Ann to Sunday School and church. In the summer, Dorothy also took them to Vacation Bible School where she worked as a volunteer. Family commitments were very important to Dorothy and she devoted herself to them, providing care and support to her mother for decades, as well as to many of her other relatives. Of course, she never passed up an opportunity to be available to take care of her grandchildren, and no grandchild passed up an opportunity to sit on her lap to cuddle or have her read a story to them. Dorothy had such a warm, kind and loving nature, and she rarely complained even as her health declined. She had a gentle and purposeful approach to everything she did and was very content with her life. She will be dearly missed. Dorothy is survived by two children: Charles Miller (Rita) of Prairie Village, KS and Sue Ann Dunn (Bob) of Devil’s Elbow, MO; one sister: Norma Dodds of Waynesville, MO; one brother: Paul McCoy of Dixon, MO; five grandchildren: Adam and Scott Miller (Brooke), Travis Dunn, Lucas Dunn (Kate) and Derek Dunn; two great grandchildren; Molly and Gracie Dunn; other relatives and friends. A memorial gathering was held from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. Saturday, February 1, 2014 in the Memorial Chapels and Crematory of Waynesville / St. Robert. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions be made in memory of Dorothy Miller to the National Parkinson Foundation and may be left at the funeral home.

Dorothy Irene Miller

November 11, 1924 - January 26, 2014