1935
Elizabeth
2010
Elizabeth Vandyke Miller
August 18, 1935 — May 19, 2010
Elizabeth Walker "Lib" Miller, 74 of Lakeshore Drive in Bennettsville passed away on Wednesday morning, May 19th, after a long illness. She was the widow of Edward Winston Miller Jr, also of Bennettsville.
Lib Miller was born in Henderson, N.C., on August 18th, 1935 and was the only child of John Nathaniel Walker and Lillian VanDyke Walker. She spent her early years in Orum, N.C., a town she remembered fondly and where she developed an early appreciation of music. Playing the piano for her grandmother VanDyke was one of her favorite childhood activities, as well as her growing love for singing and the piano music of Frederic Chopin. As a teenager, she once had the opportunity to sing at a Billy Graham revival.
Lib graduated Enfield High School in 1953 and entered Greensboro College as a voice major. She studied voice under E. L. Williams, whom Lib always considered a mentor and friend. While at Greensboro College, she developed a love for the late 19th Century style of French vocal art song, as well as sacred vocal music and jazz. Lib's fondest memories from Greensboro College were her years singing in the Greensboro College Glee Club, where she had the opportunity to sing in venues up and down the east coast. It was at Greensboro College that she developed close friendships with her seven suite mates – friendships that continue today.
While at Greensboro College, Lib met Winston Miller, who was a student at nearby Wake Forest University. They married in Gibson, N.C., in August 1957. Lib and Winston moved to Bennettsville in late 1958 where Lib started what became a 51-year career teaching piano and voice to hundreds of students.
She and Winston had four sons: Ed, John, Van and Chris.
Lib's great personal joys were her children, family and her music students. She always taught her children to strive for excellence. She expected the same from students and for them to adhere to the highest standards when practicing and performing. For 51 years, her teaching year ended with a combined voice and piano recital by her students. In the 1960 and 70's, she sang in the Bennettsville based "Lawrence & Company." Over the past 10 years she was an active singer and soloist in the Laurinburg-based "Melancholy Babies." She was a member of the First United Methodist Church Choir for almost 50 years. In 1987, Lib performed her personal best when she gave a voice recital in Bennettsville which featured some of her favorite French art songs and culminated with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's exquisite solo vocal cantata "Exsultate Jubilate."
In her mid-life, Lib discovered foreign travel and never was really free of the "travel bug." Over the years, she had several opportunities to travel to England and Scotland. She also traveled to Germany, Italy and France. After Winston passed away in 2006, she spent much of her time traveling and visiting her children and grandchildren in Virginia and Georgia. Her last foreign trip was in late 2008, when she and her former college roommate traveled to the Czech Republic and Hungary.
Mrs. Miller is survived by four sons: Edward Winston Miller III of Augusta, Ga. ;John Nathaniel Walker Miller or Atlanta, Ga. ;Rogers VanDyke Miller of Alexandria, Va. and Christopher Andrew Miller of Salem, Va. She also survived by four grandchildren: Benjamin Winston Miller and Zachary John Miller of Augusta, Ga., and Richard Nathaniel Miller and Jacob Dalton Miller of Salem, Va.
Friends may visit the family at 5 to 7 p.m. Friday at McDougald Funeral Home in Laurinburg. Funeral services will be Saturday at 11 a.m. at the First United Methodist Church in Bennettsville. Burial will be at the McCall Cemetery in Bennettsville.
Read Elizabeth Miller's Obituary and Guestbook on www.mcdougald.com.
Lib Miller was born in Henderson, N.C., on August 18th, 1935 and was the only child of John Nathaniel Walker and Lillian VanDyke Walker. She spent her early years in Orum, N.C., a town she remembered fondly and where she developed an early appreciation of music. Playing the piano for her grandmother VanDyke was one of her favorite childhood activities, as well as her growing love for singing and the piano music of Frederic Chopin. As a teenager, she once had the opportunity to sing at a Billy Graham revival.
Lib graduated Enfield High School in 1953 and entered Greensboro College as a voice major. She studied voice under E. L. Williams, whom Lib always considered a mentor and friend. While at Greensboro College, she developed a love for the late 19th Century style of French vocal art song, as well as sacred vocal music and jazz. Lib's fondest memories from Greensboro College were her years singing in the Greensboro College Glee Club, where she had the opportunity to sing in venues up and down the east coast. It was at Greensboro College that she developed close friendships with her seven suite mates – friendships that continue today.
While at Greensboro College, Lib met Winston Miller, who was a student at nearby Wake Forest University. They married in Gibson, N.C., in August 1957. Lib and Winston moved to Bennettsville in late 1958 where Lib started what became a 51-year career teaching piano and voice to hundreds of students.
She and Winston had four sons: Ed, John, Van and Chris.
Lib's great personal joys were her children, family and her music students. She always taught her children to strive for excellence. She expected the same from students and for them to adhere to the highest standards when practicing and performing. For 51 years, her teaching year ended with a combined voice and piano recital by her students. In the 1960 and 70's, she sang in the Bennettsville based "Lawrence & Company." Over the past 10 years she was an active singer and soloist in the Laurinburg-based "Melancholy Babies." She was a member of the First United Methodist Church Choir for almost 50 years. In 1987, Lib performed her personal best when she gave a voice recital in Bennettsville which featured some of her favorite French art songs and culminated with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's exquisite solo vocal cantata "Exsultate Jubilate."
In her mid-life, Lib discovered foreign travel and never was really free of the "travel bug." Over the years, she had several opportunities to travel to England and Scotland. She also traveled to Germany, Italy and France. After Winston passed away in 2006, she spent much of her time traveling and visiting her children and grandchildren in Virginia and Georgia. Her last foreign trip was in late 2008, when she and her former college roommate traveled to the Czech Republic and Hungary.
Mrs. Miller is survived by four sons: Edward Winston Miller III of Augusta, Ga. ;John Nathaniel Walker Miller or Atlanta, Ga. ;Rogers VanDyke Miller of Alexandria, Va. and Christopher Andrew Miller of Salem, Va. She also survived by four grandchildren: Benjamin Winston Miller and Zachary John Miller of Augusta, Ga., and Richard Nathaniel Miller and Jacob Dalton Miller of Salem, Va.
Friends may visit the family at 5 to 7 p.m. Friday at McDougald Funeral Home in Laurinburg. Funeral services will be Saturday at 11 a.m. at the First United Methodist Church in Bennettsville. Burial will be at the McCall Cemetery in Bennettsville.
Read Elizabeth Miller's Obituary and Guestbook on www.mcdougald.com.
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