1921
Clara
2006
Clara F. Miller
February 6, 1921 — September 3, 2006
Clara F. Miller, 85 years young and local artist of Moline slipped away peacefully Sunday morning, September 3rd at 6:50 a.m. at Pathway Hospice at Trinity at Terrace Park, Bettendorf. She was thoroughly loved, respected and adored by her family and by those who knew her. How can an obituary even begin to measure or relate the life of such a remarkable lady?
Funeral services will be 10 a.m. Thursday, September 7, 2006 at First Christian Church, Moline. Visitation will be from 4-7 p.m. Wednesday at Esterdahl Mortuary & Crematory, Ltd. 6601-38th Ave., Moline. Entombment will be in Moline Memorial Park. Memorials may be made in the name of Clara to First Christian Church, Moline or Left Bank Art League, Moline.
Clara was born the first of three girls to Herman and Gladys (Gilger) Beilhartz in Logansport, Indiana. Her younger sisters were Ruth and Mary Ann. She outlived them both. In 1930 Herman moved the family to Moline, IL, where they lived with his parents who ran a boarding house. She attended Moline schools, graduating from Moline High School in 1940.
After high school, she attended Augustana and worked as a telephone operator and supervisor. Her next job was at Farmall and during World War II she was a secretary and timekeeper at the Rock Island Arsenal. After the war she went back to school at the Moline Business College, then to work at Montgomery Elevator. Her next job was at Deere and Company where she worked for 29 years, retiring in 1981.
Prior to working at Deere she met and married Marcus Decker and had a daughter Candace. After that marriage ended in divorce, she met and married James C. Miller, father of William C. Miller, while working at Deere.
After retirement she truly began to bloom. She took art lessons and this is when Clara found her true calling. Clara began painting everybody and everything that caught her fancy. She served a term as president of the Left Bank Art League, painted portraits of people on commission including a portrait of Abraham Lincoln that she painted for Lane Evans, which he hung in his office. She won numerous awards for her paintings from various art shows around the area.
She was a member of First Christian Church, Left Bank Art League and the Clara Lodge (Moline Vikings), all in Moline.
She is survived by her children Candace J. Decker of Milan, and William C. Miller and wife Pamela Lynne, of Moline. Her grandchildren, Steven M. Miller and wife Mandi, Eric P. Miller and significant other Joey Printy, and Ryan J. Miller and significant other Kim Williams, and great-grandchildren, Clayton and Emma Miller (Steve and Mandi's children), all of Moline, IL.
Online condolences may be expressed to Clara's family by visiting her obituary at
www.esterdahlmortuary.com
I
Funeral services will be 10 a.m. Thursday, September 7, 2006 at First Christian Church, Moline. Visitation will be from 4-7 p.m. Wednesday at Esterdahl Mortuary & Crematory, Ltd. 6601-38th Ave., Moline. Entombment will be in Moline Memorial Park. Memorials may be made in the name of Clara to First Christian Church, Moline or Left Bank Art League, Moline.
Clara was born the first of three girls to Herman and Gladys (Gilger) Beilhartz in Logansport, Indiana. Her younger sisters were Ruth and Mary Ann. She outlived them both. In 1930 Herman moved the family to Moline, IL, where they lived with his parents who ran a boarding house. She attended Moline schools, graduating from Moline High School in 1940.
After high school, she attended Augustana and worked as a telephone operator and supervisor. Her next job was at Farmall and during World War II she was a secretary and timekeeper at the Rock Island Arsenal. After the war she went back to school at the Moline Business College, then to work at Montgomery Elevator. Her next job was at Deere and Company where she worked for 29 years, retiring in 1981.
Prior to working at Deere she met and married Marcus Decker and had a daughter Candace. After that marriage ended in divorce, she met and married James C. Miller, father of William C. Miller, while working at Deere.
After retirement she truly began to bloom. She took art lessons and this is when Clara found her true calling. Clara began painting everybody and everything that caught her fancy. She served a term as president of the Left Bank Art League, painted portraits of people on commission including a portrait of Abraham Lincoln that she painted for Lane Evans, which he hung in his office. She won numerous awards for her paintings from various art shows around the area.
She was a member of First Christian Church, Left Bank Art League and the Clara Lodge (Moline Vikings), all in Moline.
She is survived by her children Candace J. Decker of Milan, and William C. Miller and wife Pamela Lynne, of Moline. Her grandchildren, Steven M. Miller and wife Mandi, Eric P. Miller and significant other Joey Printy, and Ryan J. Miller and significant other Kim Williams, and great-grandchildren, Clayton and Emma Miller (Steve and Mandi's children), all of Moline, IL.
Online condolences may be expressed to Clara's family by visiting her obituary at
www.esterdahlmortuary.com
I
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