Catherine Miller

Catherine (Cathy/Catie) Miller, died on Sunday, June 2, 2013 at her home surrounded by her family and friends. Cathy was 75 years old at the time of her death. A Memorial Service will be held on Friday, June 7th at 10:00 AM at St. Aidan's Episcopal Church at 2425 Colorado Avenue - Boulder, CO. A reception will follow in the Church Hall. Cathy was born Catherine Anne Haeling on November 4, 1937 in Owego, New York. Cathy lived most of her young life in Owego and began working for IBM in 1955 until moving to Boulder, Colorado in 1968. She eventually continued her employment as an accountant with IBM in Boulder. She married Dana G. Miller on November 24, 1968 who also worked for IBM. Cathy and Dana built their dream home on ten acres on 75th Street in 1976. Cathy lost her beloved Dana in 1985. Cathy retired from IBM in 1990 and spent her retirement years working her land, preparing for her annual hay crop and maintaining (minimizing) the prairie dog population that plagued her beautiful property. She also volunteered her time to her church and community. To many people Cathy was known as the "prairie dog lady" or the "rock lady". She was forever posting "rocks for free" signage at her driveway and many people in Boulder County now enjoy lovely rock gardens as a result of Cathy's labors in picking up and stockpiling rocks from her pasture. Many people came to know Cathy as the "prairie dog lady" as she was forever trying to eradicate the prairie 'rats' from her property as they were destroying her wonderful pasture lands and grasses. Cathy often posted a large sign on her front pasture fence sending a message to Boulder regarding their uncontrollable prairie dogs. The sign read "City of Boulder Open Space keep your prairie dogs off our AG LANDS" there was a small prairie dog with a slash across it (meaning no prairie dogs allowed). Cathy was very active in soil and water conservation and was a board member and volunteer to the Boulder Valley Soil Conservation District for many years. She continued until her death working with the Conservation District with their annual tree sales which provided wind breaks and soil protection through the Boulder Valley and Longmont area. She also assisted the District in the educational programs they conducted on soil and water conservation and taught the children how to protect our soils and waters from erosion, pollution and overuse. Cathy was also a volunteer for the last ten years for the Boulder County MATHCOUNTS Competition as a grader. Each year she was more amazed then the previous year at how intelligent these young 5th, 6th and 7th grade students are in the area of mathematics and how quick their minds would work to solve very complex mathematical calculations. Cathy volunteered at her church, St. Aidan's Episcopal Church. She was the Church's unofficial 'gardener'. She loved preparing the church grounds each spring preparing the flower beds, trimming trees, planting new shrubs and flowers to beautify the church grounds. She also provided calligraphy services for wedding and baptismal certificates - her calligraphy was a work of art in itself. She was very creative and loved to go antiquing. Her home sometimes felt like an antique museum. She collected dolls, small chairs, antique shoes, kitchen tools and signs. Cathy was an avid photographer and entered several of her photographs in the Louisville Juried Photography Show and Exhibit. Cathy loved to travel and spent most of her travels learning of new places to see within the United States. Cathy loved her family and cherished the moments she spent with each and every member of her family. She also loved her friends and neighbors. She is survived by her three sons Dana Miller of Berthoud, CO, Roger Miller (Sue) of Nathrop, CO and Gary Miller of Estes Park, CO; brothers Kenneth Haeling (Katherine) of Apalachin, NY and Warren Haeling (Fern) of Greensboro, NC; one niece Anne Haeling Bechert of Ithaca, NY and one nephew Karl Haeling of Briarcliff Manor, NY; five grandchildren and five great grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, donations should be made to: Canine Partners of the Rockies, 651 Potomac St., Aurora, CO 80011 or Flatirons Habitat for Humanity 4625 16th St., Boulder, CO 80304