The day before Esther “Marie” Miller died, she had one thing left to tell her doctor.

A joke.

Known for her sharp wit, even at the age of 102, Marie Miller could not let the chance to make someone laugh pass her by.

“What does a dog say after they walk on sandpaper?” she asked. “Rough. Rough.”

On Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, Miller, of Butler, passed away from natural causes. Miller was one of the 350,000 American women who answered the call and served their country during World War II. Not only was she a decorated veteran, she was also a mother, a patriot and a woman with a heart of gold, her family recalled.

Born in Butler on Nov. 25, 1921, to Thomas and Helen Crawford, Miller was the second of five siblings. Raised during the Great Depression, Miller was expected to support her younger brothers and sisters.

“She said it was tough,” said Randy Miller, her youngest child. “But she always had fond memories of her childhood.”

Randy Miller said his mother would recall stories about having to trudge up hill to get to the ice house to bring back ice in a wagon.

“She used to talk about going down that steep hill and having to hurry back in the summertime to get the ice in the refrigerator,” he said.

Marie Miller excelled in school, so much so that in 1939 she won a trip to the New York World’s Fair due to her strong academic performance.

After high school, Marie Miller had several jobs in the Butler area, which helped provide income for her family. When she turned 21 in 1942, she signed up for the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps.

Randy Miller said his mother looked up to her older brother, Bill, who was stationed at Pearl Harbor during the bombing attack by the Japanese Navy Air Service in 1941.

“My mother was always very patriotic,” he said.

During her time in the Corps, Marie Miller was stationed at Fort Oglethorpe, Ga., Wenton, Texas, Ayre, Mass., and Orlando, Fla., where she would remain until the end of the war.

In an interview with the Butler Eagle in 2021, she said one of the jobs she had in the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps was to train recruits, a task that was not well received by servicemen.

“Men hated you,” Marie Miller said. “When women came in, men had to be assigned overseas.”

In Orlando, Marie Miller was assigned to work on the aircraft table at the Air Corps Training Center, where she and about eight other women plotted friendly and enemy aircraft on a huge map known as a plotting board.

“It was nearly the size of the room,” Randy Miller said. “And the women would hold up long sticks — and this how they plotted things way before radar.”

During her nearly four-year enlistment, Marie Miller rose to the rank of sergeant and received various medals and recognition, including a Good Conduct Medal.

After the war, Marie Miller met her husband, Lyman George Miller, while he was recovering at the VA Butler Healthcare hospital.

“My mother would go to the VA on occasion to help out,” Randy Miller said.

Four months after meeting Lyman, the two were married.

Marie Miller was able to convince her husband, who was originally from Wisconsin, to stay in Butler.

“My mother was probably stronger willed than my dad,” Randy Miller said jokingly of his parents. “Usually the guys win but my mother won, she convinced him to stay here.”

In 1951 Marie and Lyman Miller purchased a house in the Island neighborhood for $2,700. Randy Miller said that house was her pride and joy.

“It had old gas lighting, didn’t have any electricity.” he said. “I could go on and on, but through the years, the house became her crown jewel.”

Together, the couple had six children, Sheila Nagy, Karyn Albert (deceased), Thomas Miller, Gary Miller, Patricia McClanahan and Randy Miller.

His mother ran a “tight ship,” according to Randy. Likely stemming from her military background, Marie Miller was very particular about the cleanliness of their home.

“Your bed had to be tucked in a military tuck, stuff had to be white-glove clean,” Randy Miller said. “She was tough on that.”

Randy Miller said even though money was tight growing up, and Marie Miller took care of her ailing husband, she was always a “great mother.”

“She was a tough women trying to raise six children with limited funds,” he said.

Marie Miller developed a love of arts and crafts and created quilts and crocheted doilies.

“People in this town will know her for her quilts,” Randy Miller said. “She would put her crafts at the Butler Farm Show and Butler fair, and I’m telling you, most of the time she came away with the top ribbons. That’s how good she was at it.”

Her crafts were so good, they caught the eye of U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, R-16th.

For Marie Miller’s 100th birthday celebration, the congressman paid her a visit. During the party, Kelly took a liking to one of Marie Miller’s homemade doilies.

“She told him he could have it,” Randy Miller said. “And he told her he was going to display it in his office.”

After her husband passed in March 19, 1973, Marie Miller found another passion: traveling.

Marie Miller made trips to Jerusalem, Greece, Alaska, Hawaii, Mexico, Europe and other exotic destinations.

“It was her first exposure to different cultures,” Miller said. “I think she became addicted to seeing new places.”

At 102, Marie Miller leaves behind six children, 17 grandchildren, 37 great-grandchildren and 44 great-great grandchildren (and counting).

She was an active member of the American Legion.

When asked what was her secret to living so long, Marie Miller always had the same witty answer: “A hard-days work, a sense of humor and many cold draft beers.”

A visitation was held Feb. 23 at Thompson-Miller Funeral Home. A private service will be held per family wishes. Donations may be made to Butler County Humane Society or a charity of the donor's choice.