Dorothea B. Miller

Dorothea Blanche Hackworth Miller, daughter of Lester and Sylvia Hackworth, was born January 5, 1924, near Canute a small town in western Oklahoma. As a primary grade student, she attended the newly constructed school in Bums Flat, for which her father was partly responsible. Bums Flat is the site of the Clinton-Sherman Air Force Base, which is now involved with space traveler, After her sophomore year, the family moved to Elk City, where she graduated in 1941. Dorothea enrolled at the Southwestern Institute of Technology in Weatherford for the summer session in 1941. The next year, following her only sibling, her brother, who enrolled as a freshman, she transferred to what was then Oklahoma A & M College in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Commerce Degree July 28, 1944, she accepted a position to teach typing, shorthand, and bookkeeping in the Hominy Public Schools. She was responsible for introducing calculators, data processing, and electric typewriters in her classes. After their graduation, many of her students were able to get office jobs for which they were paid much more than she was.
On July 29, 1966, Dorothea graduated with a Master of Science Degree from Oklahoma State University of Agriculture and Applied Science, after which, she began teaching shorthand, bookkeeping and ninety students in two sections of Freshman English. After two years, she became English Department Chairman and began teaching Speech as well as Junior and Senior English. Dorothea also served several terms as president of the Hominy Faculty Club. A member of the First Presbyterian Church in Hominy, she served as a Sunday School teacher and as an officer in both the local women's organization and Presbytery. She was selected as Hominy's "Teacher of the Year" twice. Another significant honor was having the yearbook dedicated to her two times. During her teaching years, students reported back to her that they made high grades in, or were tested out of Freshman Composition in college.
On July 7, 1945, she married Guy B. Miller, newly returned from service in the European Theater of Operations in World War 2. The couple had two daughters, Carol and Linda both of whom attended Oklahoma State. During the first ten years after her retirement in 1985, Dorothea and Guy traveled extensively in the United States and Europe. Dorothea has served as vice president of her local Oklahoma Retired Educator's Association twice and has been a representative to the state capitol. In addition, as a member of the Alpha Delphian Club, she has volunteered as an aide in the Hominy elementary school system and book reviewer to raise money for the Elementary School Library as well as for the Hominy Public Library. Dorothea also did volunteer work with Hominy Head Start.
For many years, she enjoyed knitting, sewing, reading and doing three crossword puzzles each day. Failing eyesight forced her to give up these pastimes. However, she still remained active in both OREA and the Alpha Delphian Club.
Survivors are her two daughters, Carol Griffin and her husband Bob of Allen, Texas, Linda Blake and her husband David of Cleveland both of whom attended Oklahoma State and seven grandchildren.
Services will be held on Wednesday, January 24, 2018, at 2:00 pm at the First Presbyterian Church with Rev. Sandra Bach officiating. Burial will follow in the Woodland Cemetery under the direction of Chapman-Black Funeral Home. Friends may share a memory of Dorothea’s memorial website at www.chapman-black.com.

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