Pauline Barbara (Weisgerber) Miller Obituary (1924

Pauline was called home to our Lord on March 23, 2021 at the age of 97. Pauline was a strong Christian woman with a close and deep relationship with the Lord. Pauline was born on January 14, 1924 in Sykeston, ND to Valentine Weisgerber and Magdalina (Waliser) both whom came to this country aboard ships as children. Pauline was the second oldest of six children and was the oldest of three girls. Growing up, Pauline and her siblings helped to support the family by working in the fields and orchards harvesting various seasonal fruits and vegetables in Milton Freewater, OR and Yakima, WA. About this time her father got into the cement finisher's union and the family moved to Tacoma, WA where the family residence became permanent. Pauline was called upon to fill her mother's domestic duty shoes at a young age when her mother became ill and was hospitalized for many weeks. At age 12 she became the chief cook and housekeeper, and was responsible for getting her siblings fed, clothed and off to school daily. This experience served to prepare her for her role as the backbone of the family she started with John J. Miller. Later family and extended family reached out to her as a problem solver for the various crises that would come up in their lives. If someone had a problem or a crisis in their lives. With love and compassion, she would listen to their issues and lend the help she could, sometimes a hug and a kiss other times a place for that person to live. Pauline had many jobs during her lifetime from working during WWll as one of the "Rosie the Riveters" to a telephone operator at Madigan hospital at Fort Lewis Army base. After the war, Pauline transferred to McChord Air Force Base where she worked the day shift as a telephone operator and the night shift at the Brown and Haley candy factory. Pauline entered the Miss Tacoma pageant and was crowned Miss Tacoma 1946. Pauline then met and married in 1948 1st Lt. John J. Miller a US Air Force pilot. John and Pauline were blessed with four sons. John was stationed at many bases across the country including Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines. Traveling seemed to be in Pauline's DNA from her childhood move from North Dakota to Milton Freewater, OR and eventually to Tacoma, WA to the multiple moves as the wife of an Air Force pilot over a 24 year period. Pauline had entries in her passport for places like Hong Kong, Germany, Holland, Israel, France, Denmark, England, China, Japan, Philippines, and Thailand to name a few. Pauline enjoyed life to the fullest every day. From an early age she enjoyed most sports and played basketball, tennis, and softball in school in Yakima, WA. She and joyed dancing throughout her life. When square dancing became boring she took up round dancing while retired in Yuma and would often enjoy this activity with her sister Roberta and husband Jack three nights a week. Whether it was jitterbug poker or ballroom dancing if you put on the music she was ready to go. Later in life mom played golf in a women's league at Belmore Park, Federal Way, WA. She loved competing for the cash prizes of .25-.75! John J. Miller passed away in 1987. Pauline was blessed to meet her second husband U.S. Army Captain John Parshall in 1988, they traveled the world dancing aboard cruise ships and continued living life to the fullest. John Parshall passed away in 2013. After John Parshall passed away, Pauline then moved in with her son Jan and his wife Kim in Bremerton where she lived happily the remaining days of her life. Pauline was preceded in death by her first husband John J. Miller 1987, John Miller Jr. 2010, and her second husband John Parshall 2013. Pauline is survived by three sons; Francis Jerome Miller (Mary Anne Eckert), Jan Miller (Kim Miller), Jeffery Miller (Deann Miller); eleven grandchildren, and twelve great-grandchildren. Viewing at Lewis Funeral chapel on Friday, April 23, 2021 (lower level entrance) 10am-12pm open casket, 12pm-2pm closed casket. (5303 Kitsap Way, Bremerton 98312) A graveside service will be held at Forest Lawn Cemetery on Saturday, April 24th at 10am. (5405 Kitsap Way, Bremerton 98312) Celebration of life at Abundant Hope Church directly after graveside services. (1940 NE Sylvan Way, Bremerton, 98310) The family requests to please be responsible and bring your PPE to prevent any possible exposure to COVID-19.