Carolyn Esther Miller

Local Genealogist Joins Ancestors

Carolyn Esther Miller joined her ancestors on Jan, 20th, 2021 after a decline of three years.  She was born August 2nd, 1934 to Carl Clifton Keller and Grace Ellen (Barnes) Keller at the Keller family farm, now the site of Barcus Acres on Beeson Street.

She attended the one-room Science Hill School through eighth grade when she transferred to Alliance High School. She received a BS in Education, Cum Laude, from Mount Union College and a Masters focused on Learning Disabilities from Kent State in 1974 She taught at Marlboro School for over a decade before moving to Arizona to teach Special Ed, for several years before returning to Ohio.

She was active in Four-H for over two decades starting as a child and moving on to a leadership position. She retained an interest in fabric arts, eventually turning her talents to quilting and donated many quilts to charitable organizations.

Later her interests shifted to family history and she published three volumes tracing family connections; The Keller Connection (1984), The Richard Tullis Family of Columbiana County, Ohio, (1989) and The Family Story of James Calderhead and Ann Tod, (1994). Carolyn taught Genealogical Research at the Rodman Library in the 90s and through the first decade of the 21st century, and was instrumental in the formation of the Alliance Genealogical Society where she served in a variety of positions.   She was a member of the Jane Bain Chapter of the DAR, serving as Regent from 2005-2013.

Carolyn’s interests in family history naturally lead to the local history her family was entwined in since around 1800. She was a board member of Haines House from 2003-2009 serving as a volunteer for many years. She also supported the Science Hill Schoolhouse Museum, both as a volunteer and through donations of family memorabilia from several generations of students and teachers.

In her personal life she was married twice; first to Ronald Dickey (div., dec.) with whom she bore a daughter. And later to Arthur Miller (dec.) with whom she ran Happinest Farm, an antique store and popular u-cut Christmas Tree destination in Limaville. She enjoyed cowboy poetry and music, which she discovered while living in Arizona, quilting, and family research.

She is survived by her daughter, Laura J. (Dickey) Henson; son-in-law, Matthew; granddaughter, Lydia Grace; Arthur Miller’s extended family, including step-children, Larry (Laura) Miller and Stacia Wilson; sister-in-law, Lilly Keller; nephew, Steve (Laurie) Keller; nieces, Jane (Dan) Krug, Donna (Bo) Lasiter, Carla (Mike) Hoover; and numerous grandchildren and great grand-children.

A private family service will be held January 25th. Interment will be at Limaville Cemetery.

Arrangements are entrusted to Cassaday-Turkle-Christian Funeral Home 75 South Union Ave Alliance, Ohio 44601.