Eva Miller’s Memorial

Bill Kaminski

ROAST BEEF!

Grandma Miller made the best roast beef dinners ever.  I remember when I was young, once a week we would get up early in the morning, drop my dad off at work and go to gram and gramps.  We’d have breakfast, I’d watch grampa shave and go off to work and I’d go back to sleep.

In the evening the whole family would come to gram and gramps for dinner.  It was always roast beef, twice baked potatoes, corn, etc.  Afterward in the summer we would sit on the front porch and talk, in the winter we would watch Woody Woodpecker and Batman.  It was always a good time.

It wasn’t until recently I realized it wasn’t just a way to bring the family together, but it was a way for gram and gramp to make sure their kids young upstart families had a weekly feast.  That’s the way gram and gramp were.  Everything was about their kids, grandkids, family and friends.

Grandma was an optimist.  She saw the best in people and never had an unkind word.  I can’t remember her ever raising her voice.  One of her favorite sayings was things have a way of working out.  I wish I was more like her.  If we were all more like her, the world would be a much better place.

Kim Kaminski

I was fortunate enough to marry into just a great family.  I’ve known Grandma Eva for about thirty years.  My fond memory of gram is taking her to her favorite Swedish restaurant for a lunch of quiche and fruit for her birthday present.  We would come back to her house and sit on the porch and visit for a while.  We did this for a few years, until she couldn’t go out anymore.  Then I started bringing homemade quiche to her, with my mom’s recipe, and fresh fruit.  It was always a great visit and I could tell she liked it.

Grandma Eva was more of a grandma than my own.  I never really knew my grandmothers.  They lived so far away.  Gram was a great lady.  I also remember something funny about gram.  I wasn’t a witness to this, but a couple of Christmases ago my son announced to the family he was having a baby.  No one was very surprised because my daughter had put it on her Facebook for a couple of days.  Gram wanted to know how everyone knew.  Someone said, “It was on the Internet, Gram”.  She replied, “Oh that Internet just knows everything!”  What a great lady!

Todd Mallasch

Ninety-nine years…
there aren’t many people that can say they knew someone who’s lived that long.
Not only can I say that I knew someone…
I can say my grandmother, was that someone!

She was a special person, and it wasn’t because of how long she lived her life, but because of the way she lived it. She enjoyed life and was always smiling.
She would try to find the good in every situation.
She was the perfect example of “a glass half full person!”

When my mother called me on Friday morning and told me that Grama had passed away it was such a shock, and when I told people I was shocked…
I’m sure they were thinking, she was 99 years old how could this be shocking news to you?
But it was, I just couldn’t believe she was gone.

I immediately started going through old photos & videos of my grandmother,
I wanted to showcase her life at the wake & funeral.
I wanted to put together the best photo/video tribute possible.
I wanted it to be perfect!
But after going through boxes of pictures and many hours of video, the memorial I was working on just didn’t seem good enough, when I compared it to the life she lived.
So after watching all of her life memories over and over again, and seeing how happy and joyful her life truly was, I decided to just show you how blessed we were to have had her in our lives, by displaying as many pictures and videos I could find from her life.
To remind everyone how lucky we were to have her and my grandfather as the foundation of our family.
All my life she taught me so many things through example.
She showed me that family & love are more than just words,
They are the keys to a happy life.

When I was trying to think of a story to come up here and tell about my grama,
I was having difficulties, because once again I was looking for perfection, and I have so many wonderful stories & memories.
I wanted to find that perfect story, but every story & memory is special in it’s own way, and I couldn’t come up with that “perfect” one to share.

Looking back on her life, seeing all the joy & happiness she has brought into everyone else’s lives, I now can see that life isn’t meant to be perfect, but if you live your life like my Grandmother did, you will have lived a perfect life.
Thanks for being such an inspiration to all of us.
We Love You Grama!

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Sharon Miller

I know it sounds funny to say that you’re shocked when your 99 year old grandma passes away, but, I was, and my favorite story about my grandma might explain why.

It may have been 4 or 5 years ago now when we got a call on Halloween saying that Grandma had fallen and broken her hip while she was in Waupaca and really wasn’t doing too well at all. Maybe we should get up there right away to see her. So, I called my cousin Bill and we decided that we would make the trip together. We were a little nervous about walking into the hospital room because we weren’t sure about what we were going to see once we got there.

Well, as we opened the door to the hospital room, don’t we see grandma sitting up in bed eating pork chops. She looks at Bill and me, and with a look of surprise says, “What are you two doing up here?”

Bob Miller

Everyone knows how much gram loved Waupaca and she always wanted her family to enjoy it as much as she did.  Well one weekend the grandkids got together and boy did we have fun.  Maybe a little bit to much.  The day started with a tubing and water skiing and ended up at the harbor.  On the way back to the cottage while on Teddy’s three-hour tour we decided to call gram.  Now granted it was 11:00 but we knew she would be up.  So the phone got passed to everyone and I was the last one to talk.  After I hung up people on the boat said I had used some inappropriate language with gram.  I said no I didn’t.  They said yes you did.  I said NO I didn’t.  They said well what did gram say.  I said she said nothing about swearing she just said boy it sounds like you guys are having a great time up there.  That was gram always loving when the family was together and always wanting the family to have fun!


Julie Miller

Here is what I said about Gram…
Things were not exactly going my way several years ago and we went to visit Gram one day. We walked in like drown rats because it was pouring. We were complaining about how wet it was and Gram said “Oh, but the flowers and grass really need the water”.  When we left, I told Bob that I was going to be more like Gram. So the next morning I woke up and reminded myself that I was going to be more like Gram starting today. We woke up to a broken sump pump and I thought,..what would Gram say? She’d say, “Oh, the plumber is probably down on his luck with a big family and needs the money more than you do”. Then I went to the grocery store and knocked down a display of Cheerios and I thought, what would Gram say? She’d say “Oh, just look at all the people you got to meet that helped you clean up”. I went into the parking lot and my case of Diet Coke broke and all 24 cans went rolling through the parking lot. I thought, what would Gram say? She’d say, “Oh, look at
all the good exercise you’re getting by chasing all those cans around”. After getting home, I  got a phone call with some bad news and I broke into tears and became all stressed out. Bob said, “Well, what would Gram say? You said you wanted to be more like her” I then yelled, “I can’t BE her in a day”.  I can’t be her in a day, or a week, or a year because she was one of a kind. She inspired me when she was alive and she will continue to inspire me even though she’s gone. I am a truly a better person because I called her Gram!

Julie Murray

My favorite funny memory of my gram is when we were in Waupaca and it had been raining all day.  We couldn’t go out on the lake or the boats, so we decided to go see a movie.  I asked my gram if she wanted to come with and, of course, she said yes.  We went to go see “There’s Something About Mary.”  I had no idea what the movie was about at the time.  Clearly, it was not a movie that a grandmother and granddaughter should be seeing together!  I sat next to my gram and was so embarrassed throughout the whole movie.  I could barely look at the screen.  Once the movie was over, I remember walking out of the theater with my gram and she turned to me and said, “That movie was so funny!  I really enjoyed that.”  It was right then that I knew I had the coolest grandma ever!


Vince Murray

” They say when you marry someone you marry their entire family, and because of that I had the pleasure of knowing Gram for the past ten years.  My favorite memory of Gram has to be the first time I met her.  At the time, I was dating Julie and she asked if I would like to meet her 90 year-old Grandmother.  I didn’t really know what to expect, I wasn’t lucky enough to have had my grandparents live that long.  I remember that we brought dinner down to her and had a very nice dinner with pleasant conversation.  After dinner Gram asked with a smile if we would like to play cards.  Looking back on it, I probably should have known something was up, but instead I said, ‘I would love to play cards.’  That was when Gram taught me a little game she liked to play called, Kings in the Corner.  To say I got a lesson in the game is a gross understatement.  This sweet little old lady with whom I had just had dinner turned in to some Vegas card shark and proceeded to thoroughly beat me in cards for the remainder of the evening, all the while making comments like ‘ Are you sure you understand how to play this game?’ and ‘You’re not very good at this are you?’.  I remembering leaving and as I walked to the car looked and Julie and said, ‘Your grandmother just destroyed me at cards and talked trash the entire time.  That was awesome!’   I knew I would get along well with Gram from then on.  No matter her age, Gram was always young at heart and able to connect with everyone around her.  Whether that was through competition like cards, a discussion about Chicago sports team, or playing with a great grandchild, Gram made the most of her life and made the lives of those around her – better.”

” We will miss you Gram.”

Lisa Mallasch

What do I say about Gram that hasn’t already been said…

Even though I “married in” to being her  granddaughter she made me feel so much like her own granddaughter that sometimes it felt weird to say she was Todd’s Grandma rather than my grandma.

One of my favorite stories about Gram is when we were surprising her and Grandpa on their 60th Wedding anniversary with a party on the Chief Waupaca paddlewheel boat.  She’s walking up toward the boat and looks at the sign that says Happy 60th Wedding Anniversary and says “Oh, look someone else is celebrating their 60th anniversary “!  It was just so cute that she thought this was an everyday occurrence!

I called her on Thursdays and she would say “is it already Thursday again?”.  She always had some family news to share and always asked how we were doing.  I thought I was calling to brighten up her day, but it was her that always brightened mine.  She was a wonderful Grandma and will be dearly missed.

Tedd Mallasch

What can I say about Gram and why didn’t I get up there & say it at her funeral?  Well, I joked with Lisa, after Gram’s funeral, “If you can’t say something nice about a person, it’s better to just keep quiet”.  Of course, that is completely opposite of how I felt about Gram.  The real reason I chose not to speak, was that I knew I would breakdown & start crying, like a blubbering idiot, not a pretty picture.  Intellectually I knew, Gram had lived a wonderful life, which was long, and filled with love.  Although Gram wasn’t ill, nor was she suffering, I realized she could pass at anytime, and hoped she would die in her at home in her own bed, rather than lingering on in a hospital.  Even though my wish for her easy passing was granted, I will miss her greatly, as we all will.

Gram showed us all how to live life and how to love.  She loved her husband Herb, who died 14 years ago, not a day went by without her missing her beloved.  Gram also saw the best in everything & everyone, she wore rose colored glasses, always putting others first.  She treasured her family!  Gram felt so blessed, being surrounded by love, that love was reciprocal, we all felt it.  Recently she asked, “How can I ever repay you guys for all you do for me?”, I would answer this question, with another question, “How can we ever repay you?”

10 thoughts on “Eva Miller’s Memorial”

  1. Sorry to hear about Eva. She was a great gal, always so friendly… Kelly and I were out West. Our prayers go out to you and the family. Mike

  2. Sweet….what a joy it was to view the video and pictures…..Thanks Tedd for all that you do….this is what keeps me in some sort of contact with the family…..thanks for the blessing…..

    Jeffery C. Lindskoog

  3. Was there ever a time when Gram wasn’t smiling? Thanks for putting this together. I will view it often and think of her always.

  4. What an incredible tribute for such a truly sensational woman and her life. She will be missed and remembered for that wonderful smile that never seemed to leave her face.

  5. I feel we were blessed to have known such a wonderful person, and honored to have been allowed to call her “Grandma Miller”. I know I am better person for having known her. The tributes and stories make me both smile and shed a tear. Thank you, Tedd!! 🙂

  6. Aunt Eva was a very special person and what a great memorial. I still remember the movies taken in the early years of the cottage on the Fox River and uncle Herb’s Model A Ford, as the films were an entertaining feature when we visited the Miller house in the 1930’s. Well done Tedd and Todd, Thanks for the memories.

    Ken

  7. I WAS SADDENED BY THE NEWS OF AUNT EVA PASSING. I SAT IN MY CHAIR AND THOUGHT OF ALL THE WONDERFUL TIMES AND MEMORIES I HAVE OF MY “AUNT EVA”.
    WHEN I WAS JUST A LITTLE GIRL I USED TO WAIT FOR SUNDAY AT GRANDMA LINDSKOOG’S HOUSE. THE MILLER’S WERE COMING OVER AND WE’D HAVE A FUN DAY.
    AS I GREW OLDER MY DAD WOULD DRIVE ME TO AUNT EVA’S AND I’D SPEND TIME WITH ALL THE MILLER FAMILY. AUNT EVA AND UNCLE HERB WOULD MAKE ME FEEL LIKE ONE OF THEIR OWN KIDS AND I LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT. I DO REMEMBER ONE TIME WE ALL HAD TO GET A SPOONFUL OF COD LIVER OIL BEFORE BEDTIME AND I WISHED THAT I WASN’T ONE OF THEIR KIDS. WELL, I GUESS IT WORKED, WE’RE ALL PRETTY ROBUST. THOSE WERE THE DAYS OF COLD LIVER OIL. MY COUSINS ARE THE CLOSEST I EVER GOT TO HAVING SISTERS AND A BROTHER. THEY ARE STILL A VERY SPECIAL PART OF MY LIFE. I OWE THAT TO MY AUNT WHO KEPT IN TOUCH AND ALWAYS SEEMED TO CARE WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN MY LIFE.
    WE HAVE SO MANY HAPPY MEMORIES AT THE COTTAGE. SOMETIMES AFTER A WEEK OF LAUGHING MY STOMACH WOULD ACTUALLY ACHE. IT WAS A GOOD ACHE.
    IN ADULTHOOD WE WERE ALL STILL VERY CLOSE. EVERY YEAR AUNT EVE AND ALL THE MILLER GIRLS (AND ME) WOULD DRIVE TO WAUPACA WITH A BIG CAKE FOR AUNT ALICE’S BIRTHDAY. THOSE WERE THE DAYS MY FRIEND. WE WERE LIKE THE MAIL, WE DROVE THRU RAIN, SNOW AND SLEET BUT WE NEVER MISSED HER BIRTHDAY. AUNT EVE WAS ONE OF THE GIRLS AND WE HAD MORE LAUGHS AND SO MUCH FUN. ONE YEAR WE RENTED AN ENTIRE BED AND BREAKFAST. THE SNOW WAS SO DEEP THAT TODD HAD TO GO OVER AND SHOVEL THE WALK SO THAT WE COULD GET IN THE PLACE. IT WAS ALWAYS A GOOD TIME AND AUNT EVE WAS A REAL TROOPER TO PUT UP WITH US.
    IT WASN’T VERY LONG AGO AND I GOT A NICE PHONE CALL FROM MY AUNT EVA.. SHE WAS JUST WONDERING HOW WE WERE ALL DOING. WE TALKED FOR ABOUT TWENTY SOME MINUTES. IT WAS JUST IDLE CHIT CHAT BUT, IT WAS SO NICE. I REMEMBER SAYING TO RON HOW SPECIAL THAT CALL WAS TO ME.
    MY CHILDREN HAVE ALL CALLED TO TELL ME HOW SPECIAL AUNT EVA WAS AND WOULD RELATE A STORY OF SOME VISIT WE HAD WHEN THEY WERE KIDS GROWING UP. SHE WAS A SPECIAL LADY WHO WILL LIVE ON IN OUR HEARTS AND OUR MEMORIES. HOW BLESSED WE ALL ARE TO HAVE SHARED TIME WITH THIS WONDERFUL AUNT. I KNOW SHE’S UP IN HEAVEN LOOKING DOWN SAYING “OH YOU KIDS”

    MARILYN WIGGERMAN

  8. Aunt Eva was the perfect aunt! She always had a smile on her face and I loved it when she would laugh so hard she would almost cry. Jim called her a couple of times and enjoyed talking with her. She always had good things to say about our family and that was always appreciated. Of course, her own family was a bunch of nuts!! So when she thought she saw a “normal” family she was impressed. We all know that the Beckland family is a bunch of nuts and that’s why we have such fun together. I always looked forward to working together at Bingo at the Rosholt fair (even tho Gloria said it was slave labor). Aunt Eva was part of the slave labor and she did her share. I have many happy memories and I’m thankful for each one of them.

    Love to all of you,
    Carol Beckland

  9. What a lovely tribute to your Grandma. She will be a part of you for the rest of your life. A word, a gesture, an object or just a thought will remind you of your grandmother & you’ll realize even more how much she is a part of you.
    My Condolances go to you & your family.
    Bless you all.

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