Alumni Obituary – Martha Miller Kiser

Martha Catherine (Mills) Miller Kiser (CC’44), 97, passed away April 15, 2023, peacefully in her home to live with Jesus. She was born December 8, 1925, in Middletown, Indiana, the daughter of Walter Arlie Mills and Nellie Mabel (Davissen) Mills. When she was 2, the family moved to Houston, Texas. She graduated from high school in Houston in 1942. She graduated from Central College, McPherson, Kansas. in 1944, and Greenville College, Greenville, Illinois, in 1946. She completed medical technician training in San Antonio, Texas, in 1948. She worked as a medical technician in Abilene, Texas, until 1951, at which time she moved to Oregon and worked at the hospital in Dallas.

On August 12, 1952, she married Forrest Miller. To this union four children were born: Edward, Marvel, Steven, and Judy. They made their home on a wheat farm near Marienthal, Kansas. Forrest passed away in 1991. She remarried in 1994 to Jay Kiser. She moved to Burlington, Washington. After Jay’s passing in 2014, she moved to Leoti, Kansas, and, because of her health, she stayed with her daughter, Marvel.

Martha was a member of the West Bethany Free Methodist Church, the ladies’ mission group, and auxiliary member of Gideons. She enjoyed playing the organ and piano, singing, oil painting, cake decorating, and sewing rugs.

She is preceded in death by her parents and both spouses; brothers, James and Charles; sisters, Sarah Camper, Pauline Brittain, Caroline Stegman, Mary Delores Mills, Marian Barnett, Virginia Montee, and June Mills.

She is survived by two sons, Edward (Ruth) Miller, Perkins, Oklahoma, and Steven (Doyleen) Miller, Severance, Colorado; two daughters, Marvel (David) Brandt, Leoti, Kansas, and Judy Shields, East Wenatchee, Washington; stepson, Mark Kiser, Seattle, Washington; two stepdaughters, Karen (Mike) Hunsberger, Salt Spring Island, Canada, and Pam (Steve) Pursel, Everett, Washington; 12 grandchildren and 14 greatgrandchildren.

Funeral Service was held on Saturday, April 22, 2023, at 10:00 AM (CDT) at the West Bethany Free Methodist Church in Leoti, Kansas. Burial followed with graveside services at the Beulah Cemetery in Leoti, Kansas.

Visitation was held Saturday, April 22, 2023, at the West Bethany Free Methodist Church from 9:00 AM to service time at 10:00 AM.

Memorials may be payable to the Gideons, or West Bethany Free Methodist Church, or Free Methodist World Missions, sent in care of Fellers Funeral Home LLC P.O. Box 1253, Syracuse, KS 67878. 620-384-5100.