Marjorie Mildred Miller Passes Away
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Marjorie Mildred Miller
(February 11, 1933 - January 16, 2010)
Marjorie Mildred Miller, died January 16, 2010, at her lifelong home in Rye, New Hampshire of complications resulting from her struggle with breast cancer. She was 76 years old.
Marjorie was born in February 1933 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire to Harrison and Mildred Brown of Rye, New Hampshire. She was brought home from the hospital to the very same home she lived in at the time of her death. She had one older brother, Harrison G. Brown, Jr. who predeceased her. As a child growing up in Rye, she developed a love a horses that would grow into her passion later in life. She attended Portsmouth schools as a child, followed by attendance at the University of New Hampshire, eventually becoming a draftsman. In that capacity, she worked for a time for the state of California,and subsequently for the University of New Hampshire. A strong and fiercely independent woman, she left New Hampshire for a while in her younger adult years for southern California, and enjoyed life as a young career woman at a time when fewer women displayed such independence.
Marjorie was married once, and has three children who all survive her, Patricia Brown of Austin, Texas, Karel Miller of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and Mildred Pike of Concord, New Hampshire. She is also survived by seven grandchildren, Emily Chapman, Sarah Miller, Julia Rapp, James Joseph, Chelsea Miller, Jocelyn Pike, and Jeffrey Pike, and three great-grandchildren, Ariana Collier, Caleb Wright, and Tanner Chapman. She is also survived by her sister-in-law, Georgina Brown of Oceanside, California.
Marjorie's greatest interest and passion of her life was Morgan horses. She was the proud owner of many Morgans herself, and developed a breeding program which produced several notable and award winning horses. She founded and owned Brown Lane Farm, located near her home in Rye. She brought two of her grandchildren into the family business, instilling in them a love of horses at early ages. She was involved in every aspect of the lives of her horses, from daily care to direction of their training. She was an inspiring presence in the barn every day, and is much admired as a Morgan breeder and advocate of horses throughout the Morgan world. She made her mark in the Morgan world, creating and building her barn completely of her own strength and resources, with the independence that was her most striking and signature characteristic.
She is survived several of her horses, but most particularly by her pride and joy, Burkland Nicholas, who was brought literally to her bedside, putting his nose through her open window for a final nuzzle. The family wishes to thank all those wonderful friends of their mother and grandmother who have loved her over the years, and the many who are reaching out at this time with supportive thoughts and prayers. The family also extends a special thank you to a close friend of Marjorie's, Mary Walsh for her assistance with arrangements for the reception.
Visiting hours will be held from 5:00-7:00PM on Tuesday, January 19, 2010 at the J. Verne Wood Funeral Home - Buckminster Chapel, 84 Broad St, Portsmouth. Visiting will also be held from 11:30AM to 1:00PM on Wednesday, January 20, 2010 with a funeral service to follow at 1PM at the funeral home.
Interment will follow at Central Cemetery, Rye. Memorial donations may be made in lieu of flowers to the following organizations important to Marjorie:
American Morgan Horse Educational Charitable Trust,
122 Bostwick Rd.,
Shelburne, VT 05482
www.morganhorse.com
or
American Breast Cancer Foundation
1220 B East Joppa Rd. Suite 332,
Baltimore, MD 21286
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