Cheryl (Luellen) Miller
Cheryl Joyce Miller
February 12, 1919 - December 15, 2011

Cheryl Joyce (Luellen) Miller passed away peacefully on December 15, 2011, in Scottsdale, AZ. She was born February 12, 1919, to Clement and Hazel Luellen of Minburn, Iowa. She graduated from Minburn High School in 1936 and from Northeast Missouri State Teachers College (now Truman State) in Kirksville, Missouri, in 1941, with a degree in Home Economics. She was the Home Economics teacher in Churdan, Iowa from 1942-1945, then worked a year in the Dietetics Department of Iowa Methodist Hospital in Des Moines.

Cheryl married Virgil A. Miller of Ogden, Iowa, at the Little Brown Church in Nashua on a snowy January 21, 1948. They made their home south of Ogden, where they raised four children - Sharon, Dave, Dean and Kathryn (Kate) -- and were an evenly split Cyclone-Hawkeye family, with two graduating from Iowa State University and two graduating from the University of Iowa.

Cheryl was a member of the Order of Eastern Star for over 70 years. She loved music and was a talented pianist who could play any song by ear. For many years, Cheryl was the organist at the Community United Methodist Church in Ogden. She held numerous local and district offices in United Methodist Women and volunteered with school and community activities. Along with singing and playing the piano and organ, Cheryl enjoyed reading, needlework and spending time with her children and grandchildren.

Cheryl and her husband were founding residents at the Green Hills Retirement Community in Ames, moving there in 1986. They were active members of the Green Hills Community for 22 years before moving to Scottsdale, AZ.

Cheryl was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Virgil A. Miller; and two brothers Forrest (Bo) and Donald Luellen. Survivors include daughter Sharon (Miller) Rodine and husband Richard, Oklahoma City, OK; son David Miller and wife Nancy, Austin, TX; son Dean Miller, Scottsdale, AZ; and daughter Kate (Miller) Hamouda and husband Joe, Scottsdale, AZ. Grandchildren include Brent Rodine and wife Karly, Rockwall, TX; Michael Rodine, Denver, CO; Matt Miller and wife Kim, Houston, TX; Mike, Andrew and Blake Hamouda, Scottsdale, AZ; Stephen Hamouda, Tucson, AZ; and two great-grandsons, Owen and Wyatt Rodine, Rockwall, TX. She is also survived by sisters-in-law Bonnie Luellen of Minburn; Helena Luellen of Alliance, NE; Lura (Miller) Treloar, Cedar Falls; Ethel (Miller) Marsden and husband, Clement, Ames; and Helen Miller, Ames; along with many nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, January 7, 2012, at 3 p.m. at Grandon Funeral Home, 414 Lincoln Way in Ames; burial will precede the service. Memorials may be sent to support Alzheimers research (www.alz.org/donate) or the Iowa 4-H Foundation (www.iowa4hfoundation.org). Arrangements are being handled by Grandon Funeral and Cremation Care of Ames (www.grandonfuneralandcremationcare.com).