Arline Vaughn Miller (1916-2020)

VAUGHAN, MILLER, BILSTROM

Posted By: Ken Wright (email)
Date: 11/28/2020 at 06:22:04

Arline Vaughan Miller, June 16, 1916 – November 19, 2020

Arline Miller, the daughter of John B. and Anna S. Vaughan, died November 19, 2020 in Tigard, Oregon at the age of 104. Growing up in the eastern Iowa hamlet of Bennett, she graduated from the University of Iowa in 1938 in journalism. She always followed Hawkeye baseball fervently where the love of her life, Howard (“Stretch”), was the star pitcher. After their marriage, she lived in Ottumwa, Mason City, Iowa City and eventually in Des Moines as Stretch moved up to become Chief of the Iowa Highway Patrol. In 1983 they moved from Des Moines to retire in Lake Oswego, Oregon where their daughter and her family live. Arline and Stretch were very active in Lake Oswego United Methodist Church. Their marriage of 51 years lasted until his death in 1991.

Arline was a gifted writer, loved romance novels (and wrote one herself), and travelled widely, visiting all 50 states, much of Europe, and parts of the Caribbean. She was a very devout, active Methodist all of her life, teaching Bible classes and writing commentaries. Arline was a talented pianist who, at a very young age, played for church’s services but, thus, also missed her friends in Sunday School. A devoted needleworker and quilter, she also loved gardening, fishing, and her Chicago Cubs. She adored her extended family, with members of it living on both U.S. coasts and in Australia.

She is survived by her daughter, Leanne Bilstrom, of Lake Oswego, OR, her son, Bowman, of Alexandria, VA, seven grandchildren (Aaron, Evan, and Erik Bilstrom, Chanon Jay and Drew Miller, Carolyn Dietrich, and Kristin Butler), and 12 great-grandchildren. A private burial will be at the Inland Cemetery, Bennett, IA where she will have eternal rest alongside her beloved husband Stretch and their parents.