Helen Miller

Helen Rankin Rogers-Miller left this life Thursday, August 6th at Yakima Regional Hospital. She was 84 years old. Helen was born on September 29th, 1930, to May (Lewis) and George Rankin, in Yakima, Washington, where she spent her childhood camping, swimming, skiing and generally enjoying the outdoors. ADD and dyslexia made school challenging for Helen, even painful sometimes. But far from dampening her enthusiasm for learning, her differences led her to empathize with the struggles of others and want to become a teacher. To that end, she attended WSU and CWSC, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in education. In 1971, she went back to school to complete her master’s. In 1951 Helen married Robert Rogers. Although their marriage was not to last, they had two children , Cheri and Scot, and lived in the Ellensburg and Seattle areas, where she taught elementary school. Helen fulfilled a dream of hers to teach abroad when, in 1959, she bundled up her 2 kids, and headed to Germany. It was love at first sight! For the rest of her life, if something came from or was connected to Germany, it was 'sehr gut.' Returning to the states in 1961, she made a home in Yakima, working as a substitute teacher. It was not long after that she met her best friend and future husband, Nolan Miller, finally saying ‘Yes’ to him and marrying in 1991. (A very patient man!) Having survived cancer in her thirties, she became one of the founding mothers of the local Wellness House, serving on their first board, and her interest in nutrition led her to get deeply involved in Yakima’s first natural foods co-op. An intensely independent woman, she was admittedly stubborn at times, but also showed courage, generosity, and an insatiable curiosity about other people, different places, and new ways of doing things. Her passions, like her friendships, were diverse. The hardest thing for her was choosing between them, as they included astrology, alternative health, camping, computers, politics, travel, and more. An aversion to eating the same meal twice led to endless trying of new recipes, and she never met a gadget she didn’t like. Music could move her deeply, and her spirituality was central to her life. But above all, she loved to research and then share that knowledge in order to help others. Helen was preceded in death by her parents, George and May Rankin, her son Scot Rogers, her brother Bob Rankin, and her beloved husband, Nolan Miller. She will be sorely missed by her daughter Cheri (Muffin) Heilman and her husband Duane, grandsons Jamie Heilman, Ryan Rogers (Chelsie) and Matthew Rogers (Vanessa), great-grandson Ethan Rogers, sister Ruth Dolsen, step-children Cyndi (Ron) Davidson, Kathie Miller, Robert Miller, and Lewis Miller, and by her nephews, nieces and many dear friends. Family will gather later in the fall to place her ashes in her beloved mountains. Mom, though you requested no formal services, we all love you so much and will continually celebrate your life. If desired, memorials may be made in her name to Wellness House, Children’s Village or other charity of your choice. Valley Hills Funeral Home in Yakima is in care of the arrangements. Memories of Helen can be shared at www.valleyhillsfh.com. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Helen Miller, please visit our flower store.