Hazel Baker DeLoache Heflin ‘Granny’ Miller

Nov. 1, 1933 - Aug. 28, 2011

Hazel Baker DeLoache Heflin Miller, a.k.a. "Granny," has escaped the mortal coil that tethered her to this world. Her final years were limited by pain and infirmity, but even in decline, she continued to charm everyone who entered her orbit. Her innate sweetness, coupled with her distinctly southern charm, was disarming to all who knew her right until the end. After being widowed far too soon when her husband, Ed, died suddenly in 1979, she was blissfully wedded for 25 years to her soul mate Charlie Miller. Their years together in Door County yielded bountiful joy that grew exponentially with the arrival of each grandchild.

She "walked the walk" of unselfish giving to her fellow man, and quietly demonstrated profound kindness to others, through her hospice work and many other activities. She was fiercely loyal to her friends and family. She will be so very sadly missed by her six children, 16 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren, all of whom will hold in their hearts forever the sound of her voice, and the memories of her kooky schemes and themes. We have had years to say goodbye to this incredible woman, and yet we will always feel we did not have her with us for nearly as long as we would have hoped to.

Visitation will be held from 5 p.m. until the 7 p.m. memorial service Thursday, Sept. 1, at St. Luke’s Lutheran Church, 300 Carroll St., Waukesha.

Memorials would be appreciated to the Heifer Project, an international charitable organization whose mission Granny supported with great enthusiasm. The Heifer strategy to "pass on the Gift" is based on a simple idea of giving families a source of food rather than short-term relief. As people share their animals with others - along with their knowledge, resources and skills - an expanding network of hope, dignity and self-reliance is created and shared around the globe. Heifer’s international efforts to end hunger and poverty while caring for the Earth resonated with Granny, and many of her children and grandchildren received gifts from her that were "shares" of goats and sheep. Heifer International can be reached at 1 World Ave., Little Rock, AK 72202

I thank You God

i thank You God for most this amazing

day: for the leaping greenly spirits of trees

and a blue true dream of sky; and for everything

which is natural which is infinite which is yes

(i who have died am alive again today,

and this is the sun’s birthday; this is the birth

day of life and of love and wings: and of the gay

great happening illimitably earth)

how should tasting touching hearing seeing

breathing any -- lifted from the no

of all nothing -- human merely being

doubt unimaginable You?

(now the ears of my ears awake and

now the eyes of my eyes are opened)

- e.e. cummings