Loretta Miller

Loretta Miller, age 89, Of Mena passed away March 3, 2017 in Mena, Arkansas.

Loretta Miller was born on December 21, 1927, in the Montgomery County community of Hopper, Arkansas. She was the first of four daughters of Roy and Madene Horn. By her mother’s account she was a happy little girl who loved going on the rounds with her peddler father. On one such trip to a store when she was about four years old she spied a small red rocking chair; just her size. She sat down in it and refused to budge. Mr. Horn couldn’t persuade her to leave so bought the rocking chair and took it home with little Loretta in it. That rocking chair is still in the family.

The Horn family moved to Mena where Loretta played basketball in high school and made many friends. She was one of those special people who made friends easily and kept those friends throughout her long life.

One day a young man named Leonard Miller was driving her school bus. He said he was attracted to her because she wasn’t silly like many other girls. She was dignified and level-headed. It is also possible he was attracted to her because she was really pretty.

In due time they got to know each other better and when Leonard returned from World War 2 and service in the Navy they reconnected. Loretta graduated from Mena High School in 1946, and in September of that year she and Leonard were married.

Loretta did many of the same things as other women of her generation. She made a home for her husband and family, was one of the founding members of the Bright and Early Home Demonstration Club, and she had babies. Five in all. Four boys and one girl.

She excelled in keeping her children fed and clean and well-behaved. Leonard often marveled that Loretta always had the children ready and presentable and never late. She loved the beauty of flowers and enjoyed reading and learning new things.

She was a lifelong member of the Northside Church of Christ where she was known for her beautiful voice and love of singing. At the time of her death she had been a member of that church longer than anyone still alive.

When Loretta was born, many homes in her community had no indoor plumbing and no electricity. When she died on March 3, 2017, at age 89, she and Leonard had achieved a level of comfort that when she was a child she didn’t even dream of. She also achieved what she wanted most, a loving family.

Loretta Miller was preceded in death by Leonard, her husband of 58 years, and her parents, Roy and Madene Horn.

She is survived by her children, Roger Miller and wife Cynthia of Eagle River, Alaska, Ginger Hoyt and husband Dan, Souderton, Pennsylvania, Nick Miller of Las Cruces, New Mexico, Sam Miller of Mena, Arkansas, Tom Miller of Little Rock, Arkansas; sisters, Athalee Brandt of Bossier City, LA, Linda Tyler of Little Rock, Arkansas, Patty Rowe of Mena, Arkansas; four grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

Services will be at 10 a.m., Saturday, March 11, 2017, at the Northside Church of Christ in Mena. Interment will follow in the Pinecrest Memorial Park under the direction of the Beasley wood Funeral Home of Mena.

Visitation is general.

Pallbearers will be Roger Miller, Nick Miller, Sam Miller, Tom Miller and Alex Miller.

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