Marie Ann Miller

Marie Miller (age 85) of LaCrosse, Wisconsin, died on Monday, June 1, 2026, at her home.

Marie was born on August 13, 1940, in Winona, Minnesota, to Lucille and Hubert Mehr. Marie moved with her parents and her older sister, Betty, to Mankato, Minnesota, when she was 6 months old. In 1958, she graduated from Good Counsel Academy in Mankato and then earned her college degree from Marquette University in 1962. Marie taught second grade at Bruce School in Milwaukee from 1962 to 1965.

On December 28, 1963, Marie married Gerald (Jerry) Miller. In 1965, Marie and Jerry moved to Minneapolis, where Jerry completed his internship and residency in radiology in 1970. Marie taught second grade at Our Lady of Grace School in Edina, Minnesota, from 1965 to 1966, and gave birth to their children, Michele in 1966, and Greg in 1970. In 1970, Marie and her family moved to Manhattan, Kansas, where Jerry served as Chief of Radiology at Fort Riley. In 1972, Marie and her family moved to LaCrosse, Wisconsin. In 1973, Marie and Jerry purchased their home in LaCrosse, on Hagen Road. After Jerry's death, Marie continued to live at the family home until November of 2021, when she sold the Hagen Road home and moved to her apartment at Eagle Crest Communities.

Marie worked as a homemaker and as a volunteer for many years. She taught pre-school religion at St. Thomas More School from 1972 to 1976 and volunteered in remedial reading and math for 11 years. She led the Brownies and the Girl Scout Troop at St. Thomas More from 1975 to 1979. She served as School Board Chair of Education for 4 years at St. Thomas More and then served as the St. Francis Auxiliary Board Memorial Chair. She volunteered with the Lifeline Alert program from its inception in 1973 and also served as DCCW Board Newsletter/Hospitality Chair.

Marie always had a zest for life. She was grounded in her faith and remained active at Mary, Mother of the Church Parish until her death. Staying connected with family and with her friends was important to her. She was an impressive letter writer. Her handwritten letters often contained news of travels, family events, book reviews and carefully curated quotes. She was well known for her home cooked meals, which she shared with her family always and with family and others at vacations in northern Minnesota, Door County and Florida. People especially loved her homemade cookies and other desserts which she baked for holidays. Marie loved to entertain, to read, to garden, to knit, to walk for fitness, to play cards and board games and to travel. Marie traveled to Europe four times with Jerry and later with her daughter Michele and Michele's husband, Tim. She was dedicated to healthy living and modeled good habits to her family. She loved to hear news about her family and friends and she discussed ideas with civility and respect. She also loved nature and the gifts it offered. Marie had an enthusiasm for crafting, as well as for telling stories and playing games, and shared these gifts with her extended family. The teacher in Marie never left her. Marie remained committed to getting the family together for annual celebrations. She possessed an impressive memory for details and for family history and thus became the unofficial family archivist sharing these memories in collections of stories, photos, scrapbooks and letters.

Marie leaves behind her daughter Michele and Michele's husband, Tim Peltier, her son Greg and his wife Molly, her four grandchildren Danielle, Olivia, Angela and Zachary, her sister, Betty Prosser, and many nieces, nephews and friends.

Thank you to the caregivers at Brightstar Care and Gundersen Hospice.

"The loss is immeasurable but also immeasurable is the love left behind." Felicia Moran

Visitation will be held on Friday, June 26, 2026, from 5:00 to 7:00 pm., with a rosary at 6:45 pm, at Blaschke Schneider Funeral Home, 1501 West Avenue South, LaCrosse, Wisconsin. Funeral Mass will be said at Mary, Mother of the Church Parish, 2006 Weston Street, LaCrosse., on Saturday, June 27, 2026, at 10:00 am with visitation for an hour beginning at 9:00 am. Burial will be held at the Catholic Cemetery after Mass.

In lieu of flowers and plants, memorials may be given to Mary, Mother of the Church Parish, to Gundersen Medical Foundation, to Aquinas High School or to a charity of your choice.