Evelyn Ione Miller

Evelyn I. (Halvorson) Miller, 100 of Devils Lake, ND passed away on Monday morning, June 27, 2016 at Altru Hospital, Grand Forks, ND. Funeral Services for Evelyn will be held on Wednesday, July 6, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Olaf Lutheran Church, Devils Lake with Reverend Paul Balaban officiating. Burial will be in the Norway Lutheran Cemetery, rural Devils Lake. Visitation will be held at the Gilbertson Funeral Home, Devils Lake on Tuesday from 4:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. and will continue at the church on Wednesday one hour prior to the funeral service. Evelyn Ione, was the daughter of Albert and Mathilda (Moen) Halvorson of Esmond, ND. She was born on June 21, 1916 and was baptized and confirmed in Immanuel Lutheran Church, rural Esmond. Evelyn’s mother died when she was two years old. Evelyn grew up on the farm and attended school in the new Isabel Consolidated School just a mile from home. She graduated from high school in 1933. She was a willing participant in all school, church and community activities. After employment locally and in California, she married Lawton F. Miller on December 15, 1940. They farmed and raised grain, livestock and chickens. In addition, they had large beautiful vegetable gardens, fruit trees and flowers. They were members of Norway Lutheran Church up until the church merged with St. Olaf Lutheran Church in Devils Lake. Evelyn sang in the choir and taught Sunday School. She was a member of the Ladies Aid and Homemaker’s Club and held offices in both. Lawton died in July of 2001. She continued to live on the farm until July of 2014, when she moved to Heartland Court Apartments in Devils Lake. Evelyn’s interests were music, reading, sewing and genealogy. She was the Halvorson and Miller families’ historian and was able to answer many questions about family history, relationships, children’s names and addresses and to identify friends and relatives in old photos. Evelyn spent many hours researching her ancestors and traced them back seven generations. Her grandparents emigrated from Norway. After Evelyn became a member of St. Olaf Lutheran Church in Devils Lake, she was active in WELCA and Judith Circle. She was also active in the quilting projects for 20 plus years and made hundreds of quilt tops at home and with the quilters at church. Evelyn is survived by her sister Dallas Ellingson, Bismarck, ND; four sons Lawton (Aldene) Miller, Orange, CA, Jerry (Daria) Miller, Devils Lake, ND, Wayne (Doug) Miller, Rancho Mirage, CA and Wallace Miller, Grand Forks, ND; ten grandchildren Jennifer (Michael) DeFusco, Orange, CA, Craig (Cheryl) Miller, Mission Viejo, CA, Neal (Keri) Miller, Corona, CA; Todd (Liz) Miller, St. Michael, MN, Susan (Steve) Peterson, Devils Lake, Brian (Natalie) Miller, Woodbury, MN; Michelle (Joe) Goracke, Elk River, MN, Paul Miller, Grand Forks, Anne (Nathan) Mugaas, Minot, ND, Patrick Miller, Minneapolis, MN; seventeen great grandchildren Gino and Gianna DeFusco, Clayton and Kaylee Miller, Sophia and Ricky Miller, Katie and Allison Goracke, Zach, Max, Addy and Ryan Miller, Jillian and Bree Peterson, Theodore and Stanley Mugaas and Anthony Miller; many nieces, nephews and their families. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband Lawton; her step mother Inga (Christine) Halvorson; five sisters and six brothers and their spouses Audrey (Helmer) Halvorson, Manda (Ordean) Hogenson, Viola (Clayton) Christianson, Clarine Halvorson, Eunice (Ward) Bengson, Olaf, Alvin, Geno, Leo and Norris Halvorson and Melvin Halvorson in infancy and brother-in-law Les Ellingson. Casket Bearers for Evelyn will be Gary Bryn, Duane Moen, Curtis Christianson, Harlan Adahl, Terry Ellingson and Jeffrey Kenner. Reading the Scriptures will be Susan Peterson and music will be provided by Dennis and Jean Aardahl.