Ethel Elaine (Kandel) Miller

Ethel Elaine (Kandel) Miller, 73, of Walnut Creek passed away Sunday, May 1, 2022 at the James Cancer Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio, following a brief illness.

Friends may visit with family during Calling Hours on Monday, May 9 from 2-4 and 6-8 at Martins Creek Mennonite Church. A Celebration of Life is planned for Tuesday, May 10 at 11am, also at Martins Creek.

Born on May 15, 1948 in Millersburg, Ohio, she was the daughter of Clayton and Doris (Miller) Kandel in Millersburg, Ohio. She was a graduate of Kidron Central Christian High School (‘66) and attended Eastern Mennonite College. She was a lifelong resident of Holmes County while wintering in Sarasota, Florida. 

She is survived by her husband, Andy A. Miller, whom she married on March 18, 1970; her children Mike Miller of Louisville, Colorado, Shannon (Ken) Hoffman of Dublin, Ohio, and Joe (Jill) Miller of Berlin, Ohio; grandchildren Isaac and Ivy Miller, Lily, Caelyn and Vivian Hoffman, and Aila Miller; sisters Shirley Kandel of Berlin, Marlene (Tom) Swartzendruber of Shickley, Nebraska, Karla (Eric) Dayton of Bolivar, and Julie (Mark) Stutzman of Walnut Creek; brothers Ken (Rosalie) Kandel of Sugarcreek and Keith (Margaret) Kandel of Lisbon. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by a brother, Roger LaDonn.

Ethel loved the Lord. She could be found every Sunday in the same front pew at Martins Creek Mennonite Church in Millersburg. She regularly attended Covenant Life Church in Sarasota, where she loved to sing in the choir. Ethel’s devotion to Christ was a testament to her friends and family throughout her life.
There were few activities Ethel didn’t enjoy. She loved to watch the Cleveland Guardians and golf, read the Bible, collect anything adorned in strawberries, and to go out on the boat with Andy. She loved completing jigsaw puzzles and was an avid Words with Friends player, proudly beating Mike on occasion.
Ethel was a dear friend to anyone she would meet. She was blessed with multiple groups of friends, including her “Main” friends and her “Maine” friends. She loved to visit Maine every year with her “Maine” friends, a trip they took nearly every year for almost 20 years.
 

She worked various jobs over the years, but a favorite includes a decade as an East Holmes school bus driver. Families understood if their child was on Ethel’s bus, she would serve as a mother hen, ensuring the children were protected and cared for. After bus driving, she worked in various retail positions, including roles at Dad’s Toys, Stone Barn Furnishings, and Carlisle Gifts (Sarasota). Most recently, she loved to volunteer her time for the World’s Attic Thrift Shop in Sarasota, Florida, and taxied locals around Holmes County. 

The family would like to thank Ethel’s friends and neighbors for the outpouring of cards, prayers and acts of kindness. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the World’s Attic, 700 N Beneva Rd, Sarasota, FL 34232.

To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.