Catherine C Miller

Catherine Miller, 86, of Wood River died Saturday, January 18, 2020, at CHI St. Francis in Grand Island. Funeral service will be 11:00 AM Wednesday, January 22, 2020 at the First United Methodist Church in Wood River with Rev. Trudy Hanke officiating. Burial will be at 1:30 PM at the Grand Island City Cemetery. Visitation will be 5-7 PM Tuesday at the Apfel Funeral Home in Grand Island. Memorials are suggested to the First United Methodist Church in Wood River. Online condolences may be directed to www.apfelfuneralhome.com.

Catherine was born on June 16, 1933, in Grand Island to William and Dora (Ritter) Rief. She grew up on the homesteaded family farm south of Grand Island and graduated from Grand Island Senior High in 1951. She worked as a telephone operator in Grand Island.

On April 3, 1956, Catherine was united in marriage to Clyde Hongsermeier at Messiah Lutheran Church in Grand Island. After which the couple lived on the Hongsermeier family farm. Clyde died in 1983, and Catherine moved to Grand Island and then to Doniphan where she developed a special relationship with the England grandchildren and the Methodist church. On November 6, 1999, she married Donald Miller at the First United Methodist Church in Wood River. The couple lived in Wood River until her health recently declined and she moved into Tiffany Square in Grand Island.

Catherine was a member of the First United Methodist Church of Wood River, the United Methodist Women, and several Bible Study groups, sewing circle, and Bluebirds Across Nebraska. Outdoors she enjoyed her many bluebird houses as well as gardening and growing roses. Inside she enjoyed sewing and crocheting baby blankets.

Catherine will be lovingly remembered by husband: Donald Miller of Wood River; daughters: Christine (Thomas) Weitzel of Lincoln, NE, Diana (Gary) Schuster of North Platte, NE, Judy Trapp of Grand Island, NE, Mary (Robin) Loving of North Platte, NE, Jill ( Jason) Bruhn of Kansas City, MO; grandchildren: Charlene Hawk, Derek (Katie) Weitzel, Scott (Amanda) Schuster, Alisa (Vincent) Ryan, Nicholas Trapp, Jonathan Trapp, Caleb Loving, Zoey Loving, Megan Loving, Colin Bruhn, Morgan Bruhn; many great grandchildren; sister: Evelyn Blattner, of TX; numerous nieces and nephews; Donald’s sons: Leroy Miller of Grand Island, Allan (Joyce) Miller of Wood River; grandchildren: Sonya Robison, Mark (Anna) Miller; and great grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband: Clyde; brothers: William, Wilber, David Rief; sister: Dorothy Holmstedt.