Gwendolyn S. Miller, 91

February 22, 2019

Gwendolyn Studebaker Miller, 91, passed peacefully from this world into the next life on February 22, 2019, at her Brethren Village home in Lititz, PA. Gwen was born in Milledgeville, IL, and was the daughter of the late Rev. Paul B. Studebaker and late Florence Snider Studebaker. She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.

Gwen graduated from Manchester College in Indiana in 1951. For many years she was a teacher and taught primary grades in five different states. In the 1960’s and 70’s, she edited children’s educational materials for Continental Press in Elizabethtown, PA. She was an avid home decorator, gardener, writer, and pianist and was noted for her vibraharp solos, on an instrument given to her by her father at age 16. Gwen loved few things more than a competitive game of Scrabble and regularly trounced all brave enough to test their skills against hers! Gwen was a strong independent woman who was involved in church and community outreach programs. She loved to socialize, travel and took great joy in reading to her great grand-daughters.

For nearly 70 years she was the wife and partner of the late Dr. Wayne L. Miller, ordained minister in the Church of the Brethren. Devoted to the church, they served as a team at churches of Colfax and Markel, IN, and Phoenix, AZ, as well as a Methodist congregation in South Pasadena, CA. In the early 1960’s, during their service to the Church of the Brethren in Dixon, IL, Gwen and Wayne became activists in the civil rights movement. Soon after, when Wayne became Director of Religious Life at McPherson College in McPherson, KS, Gwen took on the daunting task of teaching multiple grades at a two-room, rural Mennonite school. As Wayne focused on a career in higher education, she supported his roles as Dean of Faculty at Elizabethtown College, Vice President at the University of La Verne, President at Woodbury University, and President of Bethany Theological Seminary.

Gwen especially enjoyed hosting dinner gatherings for the church and college community, including visiting dignitaries such as Victor Frankl, author of the best-selling Man’s Search for Meaning, and anthropologist Margaret Mead. While she could easily mix with luminaries, she was also immensely practical and a creative problem solver: when she learned that a mission group she and Wayne were leading in Mexico, was going to double in size for the evening meal, her response was to thicken the soup so that it could be eaten with a fork or spoon. While there was enough food, there were too few eating utensils!

Gwen was a proud mother and is survived by her four children (Kevin Miller, Christopher Miller and his wife Cindy, Teresa Miller Craighead and her husband Harold, Sara Miller and her husband Steve); five grandchildren (Joshua, Noah, Daniel, TJ and John); and two great-grandchildren (Samantha and Elena). Three brothers, Paul, George and David Studebaker preceded her in death.
A memorial service will be held at the Brethren Village Chapel, 3001 Lititz Pike, Lititz, PA, on Friday, March 22, at 3:00 p.m. A reception to greet the family will follow.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Bethany Theological Seminary at “ATTN Jenny Williams, Bethany Theological Seminary, 615 National Road West, Richmond, IN 47374-0419. On the check, note that the contribution is for the Wayne and Gwen Miller Scholarship Fund” or to the Good Samaritan Fund of Brethren Village at “Brethren Village Development Department, 3001 Lititz Pike, P.O. Box 5093, Lancaster, PA 17606. On the check, note that the contribution is in memory of Gwen Miller.”