Beverly Jean Miller, age 68 years, of Wauseon, OH, passed over with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma on November 9, 2020 at Defiance Area Inpatient Hospice, Defiance, OH. She was born September 14, 1952, Wauseon, OH to Mahlon Edward and Irene (Liechty) Miller.
Bev accepted Christ as her personal Savior in 1962 at a Billy Graham Crusade in Chicago and was baptized at North Clinton Church in Wauseon. Since 2014, she has been an active member of Central Mennonite Church, Archbold. At both churches she creatively taught junior high Sunday School classes and also mentored several young Christians.
A 1970 graduate of Pettisville High School, Pettisville, OH and a 1974 graduate of Eastern Mennonite University, Harrisonburg, VA, Bev became assistant dean of girls and part-time math teacher at Western Christian School, Salem, OR.
In 1975 she became full-time math teacher at Western and returned to Wauseon in late 1975 beginning work at M. E. Miller Tire.
She enjoyed inviting groups of friends to her home for picnics, hosting tea parties and giving tours of her Victorian home and her 1950’s collection. On Facebook she enjoyed sharing her sense of humor and the journeys of life. She was also a gifted writer.
With speaking publicly about her own experience with bipolar Bev wanted to give hope and reduce the stigma of mental illness. Since 2012 she participated in the National Institute of Mental Health’s genic study of bipolar and has donated her brain to this organization.
Bev’s family was important to her. She is survived by her sister Sharon Evers, brother Ed (Lila) Miller, and sister Kathleen (Dave) Grieser, all of Wauseon, OH, seven nieces and nephews: Steven (Connie) Johnson-Evers, Michael (Sarah) Evers, Patty (Jason) Shawberry, Amy (Todd) Moyer, Jeremy Miller, Rebekah (Nate) Hoffer and Jason (Amy) Grieser; eight great-nephews; five great-nieces; uncle Herb (Geri) Liechty of Goshen, IN; aunt Marilyn (Bill) Grieser and uncle Melvin (Mary) Evers of Archbold, OH.
She was preceded in death by her parents and brother-in-law Vernon Evers.
The family wishes to thank each of you for your loving support and prayers.
There will be no visitation. Her ashes will be buried at a private service at Pettisville Cemetery, Pettisville OH. A memorial service will be held at Central Mennonite Church November 21 at 3:00 p.m. and will also be live-streamed on their Facebook page.
Memorials may be given to: Art, Humor & Soul (memo line: Ted & Co); Eastern Mennonite University; Fulton County Historical Society; Mennonite Central Committee (MCC); or donor’s choice.
Short Funeral Home, Archbold is entrusted with arrangements.
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