Obituary of Cynthia Anne Miller

Cynthia Anne Miller, 88, of Zion, IL, passed away peacefully on May 21, 2021, at home surrounded by her family. Anne was born at home on April 03, 1933, in Zion, Illinois, to Lester and Marguerite Koetz. She graduated from Zion-Benton Township High School in 1951. She traveled to Hawaii following graduation with the Murrays to visit Kenneth Miller who was stationed there and ended up staying. She married Kenneth Carl Miller in Oahu, Hawaii, September 18, 1951. She pursued her education at various institutions while her family was growing and graduated from Carthage College in 1966 with a degree in education. Anne was a member of Christ Community Church in Zion where she sang in the choir, ushered for the Zion Passion Play and was active in the Spanish Ministry of the church. She loved people and always had an optimistic outlook on life. Anne taught pre-school with Head Start, taught kindergarten in the Zion Public Schools and later was a substitute teacher. After retirement, she accompanied her husband on the adventure of a lifetime, sailing around the world for ten years in their 35 foot sloop "Resolute." This required a huge amount of bravery and faith as Anne was not a strong sailor! Anne had many hobbies including quilting, knitting, flower arranging, and gardening. She loved to sing and would often serenade her daughters and grandchildren as well as the children in the two-year old nursery at Grace Missionary Church where she taught for years. She enjoyed the water; swimming, sailing, and practicing water aerobics. She particularly loved the pool at daughter Becky’s Florida house since it was kept at 90 degrees! She was a ham radio operator and enjoyed giving amateur tests with her husband Ken while at sea. Anne was a licensed pilot but was probably secretly relieved when the plane crashed. She walked away with two black eyes, some stitches and bruises, and the flying era came to an end. Anne belonged to many clubs in the community, including Zion Women’s Club, where she was a past president, Zion Christian Women’s Club, Illinois Dunesland Garden Club, the lake County Community Concerts, where the served on the board, and the Waukegan Sail and Power Squadron. She taught English as a Second Language in Zion and at English Camp in Spain. She continued to travel with husband Ken by plane and by ship to many exciting locations. She was a strong supporter of Zion-Benton High School basketball and loved attending games with her husband and friend Mary. Survivors include her daughters Becky (Peter) Wright of Beach Park, IL, Jenny (Keith) Fitzgibbons of Zion, IL, Kathy Mostert of Salt Lake City, Utah, and Suzanne (Alex) Waite of Elmhurst, IL; her sisters Opal (Bob) Spanton of Ft. Meyers, FL and Kimberly Kim of Kenosha, WI; grandchildren, Amy, Kevin, Beth, Lisa, Jennifer, Leanne, Christopher, Nicole, Lauren, Ian, Elise, Andrew, David, Ted, and Molly; six great-grandchildren; numerous nieces and nephews and other family. Anne was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 64 years Kenneth, her parents Lester and Marguerite Koetz, stepmother Wiladene Koetz, grandson, Nicholas Mostert; and brothers David, Harry, Ozzie, and Daniel and sisters Holly and Alyce Lynne. A memorial service will be held on Thursday, September 2, 2021, at 11:00 a.m. at Christ Community Church, 2500 Dowie Memorial Drive, Zion, with Pastor Eliel Rojas officiating. Friends may greet the family from 9:30 a.m. until the time of service at the church. Despite many life trials, Anne lived knowing “God is good.” She loved him and has entered his eternal rest. Anne prayed for others to come to know God in a personal way. Memorial donations are suggested to the Camp Zion ministry of Christ Community Church.