Dorothy Damaris (Jacob) Miller passed away peacefully at Our Lady of Mercy Country Home in Liberty, Mo., on Saturday, May 13, 2017. She was 95 years old.
Dorothy was born in Reading, Kans., on July 22, 1921 to Elmer and Lena (Marshinsky) Jacob. She married Harry D. Miller on May 8, 1948. They lived at several locations in Missouri and Kansas before moving to Avondale, Mo. in 1963. That was their home until 2011 when they moved to Liberty, Mo. Weekends usually found them at the Jacob farm near Reading, the Miller farm near Burlington, Kans., or doing their favorite activity – traveling in their Winnebago.
Each summer the kids were loaded into the Winnebago for some grand adventure. One summer trip had Harry driving the camper to California, north to Canada, east to New York, then home to Kansas City. The lives of their children and grandchildren were enriched by these travels and they have many wonderful memories of time spent together as a family. Dorothy loved to travel and kept their vacations running smoothly. She liked to record details of each trip and take lots and lots of photos. They were charter members of the local Winnebago club, The Chief Winnies, and they were very active with Winnebago Clubs at the local, state, and national levels. After Harry retired they increased their travels and once drove the Winnie to Acapulco, Mexico. They had friends across the United States as a result of their travels and winters spent in Florida, Texas, and Arizona.
Anyone who knew Dorothy would say that she was one of the nicest and most friendly people they had ever met. People enjoyed being her friend because of her positive attitude and the ever present smile on her face. She was still making new friends, both young and old, during her last months with us. Mom really enjoyed going for drives. If the day was sunny she would often sing as she rode through the county side. One of her favorites was “On the Road Again” probably because that is where she loved to be – traveling down the road to meet new friends and explore new places. She was a wonderful cook, loved to plant flowers and tend to her yard, and enjoyed watching beautiful sunsets.
She loved her kids, grand kids, and great-grand kids and passed to them a special appreciation of the beauty and wonders of the world around us. There is now a void in our hearts and souls that we will try to fill with our wonderful memories of her and the love she had for each of us.
Dorothy was preceded in death by her parents; brother, Lester Jacob; and her husband, Harry.
Dorothy is survived by her brother, Lynn Jacob of Emporia; daughter, Connie Miller of Kansas City; sons, Bill (and Cathy) Miller of Kearney, and David (and Brenda) Miller of Branson; four grandchildren, Megan Miller-Porter, Jessica Miller-Halford, Austin Miller, and Kari Miller. She is also survived by her two great-grandchildren, Adrienne and Lincoln Porter.
Dorothy’s life will be celebrated on Thursday, May 18, 2017 at Kearney First United Methodist Church. A service will begin at 4 p.m. with visitation to follow until 6 p.m. The church is located on 92 Hwy. approximately 1.6 miles east of I-35 at the Kearney exit. Church address: 1000 East Hwy. 92, Kearney, MO 64060.
Dorothy asked to be cremated and to have her ashes spread near her parent’s and brother’s graves, near her husband’s grave, and in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions to the Seva Foundation to assist them in their worldwide mission to create programs that preserve and restore sight. Their website can be found at www.seva.org.
Arrangements through Fry-Bross & Spidle Funeral Home, Kearney.
