Janet A. Miller

Sun Prairie -- Janet A. Miller, 88, of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, died peacefully at the Don & Marilyn Anderson HospiceCare Center of Madison, on Friday, October 16, 2009. She was the daughter of John and Alice Walbridge of Marshall, Wisconsin and born on October 14, 1921. She attended a one-room schoolhouse, Pierceville School, and graduated from Sun Prairie High School in 1939. She married Richard Miller of Sun Prairie on May 3, 1941. In 1946, they went into partnership with her father in the Walbridge Seed Company, her father's farm and hybrid seed corn business (which later became Richard Miller & Sons). In 1968, they sold the family farm and moved to Sun Prairie, where she remained a resident until the last month of her life. After a brief job at Manchester's department store in Madison, Janet began a wonderful career at the Bank of Sun Prairie. She enjoyed serving the public as a bank teller until her retirement in 1985. After retirement, she continued to pursue new interests such as photography, calligraphy, watercolor painting and reminiscence writing. She attended Peace Lutheran Church in Sun Prairie as a youth, and then joined St. John's Lutheran Church in Madison as an adult. She was a dedicated volunteer, serving in many organizations: as treasurer for the Pierceville School District, member of the Pierceville Mother's Club, a leader for the Happy Hikers 4-H Club (including many years working at the Dairy Bar stand at the Sun Prairie Sweet Corn Festival), a member of the Sun Prairie City Cemetery Association and at St. John's, as member of the worship team and greeter coordinator. Her favorite pastimes were having a good visit with friends and putting together special meals for many family get-togethers. She especially enjoyed the Snack-and-Gab social hours at the Regency Apartment building. She encouraged her children to participate in many activities such as music, sports and 4-H and supported them as they went on to higher education.

Janet is survived by her loving children, Ronald (Jane) Miller of Wauwatosa, Robert (Patricia) Miller of Dalton, Gail Louise (James) Auerbach of Sun Prairie, Ellen (Rick Moll) Miller of Madison, Luanne (Michael) Devere of Danville, California and Christine (Russell R) Melland of Stoughton; her grandchildren, Shawn (Katie) Miller, Shannon Doll, PJ Miller, Josh Miller, Rebecca (Joel) Tietge, Benjamin Auerbach, Amanda Devere, Timothy Melland and Meredith Melland; her great-grandchildren, Cassidy and Erin Miller, Mason Doll and Abraham and Zinnia Tietge; and sisters-in-law Alice Miller and Beverly Walbridge.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Richard; her parents, John and Alice Walbridge; her brother and best friend, Dudley Walbridge; her brother, Gordon Walbridge; and, her sister and brother-in-law, Dorothy and Don Lawrence.

A visitation service will be held at CRESS FUNERAL HOME, 1310 Emerald Terrace, Sun Prairie on Monday, October 19, from 4:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Her funeral service will be held at ST. JOHN'S LUTHERAN CHURCH, 322 E. Washington Avenue, Madison on Tuesday, October 20 at 11:00 a.m., with a visitation starting at 10:00 a.m.

Memorials may be sent to the American Diabetes Association, the National Alliance for Mentally Ill -- Dane County, and the St. John's Endowment Foundation.

Janet's family would like to thank Pastor Ken Smith of St. John's for his spiritual care, Doctors Paul Schmidt, Bharat Raman and Michael Frontiera of Dean Clinic for their medical care, the amazing staff of HospiceCare for their tender, loving care, and the friends and family who cared for, prayed for and loved her.

Every leaf lovingly created by God reminds us of
Every stitch you lovingly sewed,
Every loaf of bread you carefully kneaded,
And every tear kissed dry.
May you travel home.