Marde Jean "Birdie" Miller

December 31, 1921 - December 18, 2016

Marde Jean "Birdie" Miller Obituary Known to most of her family and friends as 'Birdie', Marde was born to Frank and Leona Ogden of Chattaroy, Washington on December 31, 1921. She was often quick to note that, "Had I been born a day later, I would be a year younger". The third youngest of seven siblings she graduated from Riverside High School in Chattaroy and went on to Kinman Business School in Spokane. A fan of the famous Sonja Henie, Marde had an abiding love of figure skating and in 1941 she was invited by friends on an outing to a local frozen lake. Also invited along was a young Spokane man named Weldon Miller. After the trip she reported to her mother, "Well! I have met the man I am going to marry" and on August 8, 1942, they were. She liked to explain it by saying, "I had to marry him. He was the only man I had met who could keep up with me on ice skates". They stayed in Spokane and over the first 30 years of their marriage raised three children together: Barry James (b. December, 1943), Michael Terry (b. June 30, 1947) and Gloria Jean (b. September 20, 1952) Marde being the homemaker and Weldon the breadwinner. Their children and their growing involvement in church and extended family plus their back lot garden and fruit trees kept them busy year round. They planted, harvested and canned their own cherries, plums, pears, applesauce, rhubarb, Italian prunes, peaches along with numerous fruit preserves and jellies. Marde loved the Pacific beaches from the mouth of the Columbia to Cape Flattery and family vacations often included a stay at one of them. Her favorite was Kalaloch and its associated beach trails. She would play in the surf along with the kids and turn cartwheels on the beach to their sometimes slight astonishment. That was Birdie. Their rolls reversed when illness required Weldon to become the homemaker and Marde to put that business school training into action and be the family breadwinner. She brought the same verve and spirit to her years with State Farm Insurance, earning her more friends and self-confidence; a confidence that along with her faith and the support of extended family members, who kept her in their hearts, their thoughts and their prayers, sustained her after Weldon's death in 1991. Widowed, Marde then moved to Riverview Retirement Community. Remaining involved in church and family, she joined in organizing fund raisers and social activities with both new and old acquaintances there. During this time she was also able to enjoy many of her grandchildren and her growing number of great-grandchildren as well as great-grandnieces and grandnephews. She carefully catalogued them in her genealogy notebooks for as long as she was able. Alzheimer's incrementally stole Birdie away from the many that loved and cared for her and from the world and activities her youthful spirit had so delighted in. Finally, on December 18, 2016 death released her from the awful grip of that disease. We can only mourn and give thanks. The family would like to recognize the staff at Riverview with special thanks to their Advanced Care Unit for the care and incredible patience they have provided to Marde over these past years. A memorial service will be held at Greenwood Memorial Terrace Cemetery, Spokane WA, at 1 PM Wednesday, December 28. In lieu of flowers donations to: The Fischer Center for Alzheimer's Research at: www.alzinfo.org are suggested.