Melba Crawford Miller passed away Friday, January 17, 2020 in Pendleton Oregon, just shy of her 94th birthday. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Thursday, January 23, 2020 at 11 a.m. at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Heppner. Recitation of the Holy Rosary will be at 10 a.m. prior to the service. Concluding service and burial at the Heppner Masonic Cemetery will follow the Mass.

She was born January 21, 1926 in Heppner, Oregon, the daughter of Wate and Mable Phillips Crawford. Melba grew up on the family farm north of Ione, which remains in the family today. Melba went to school in Ione, and then attended Oregon State University for a time.

Melba  worked in Portland for a phone company before marrying Tad Miller. The two were married in November of 1948 and were married until his passing in 2014. They lived on the Miller family farm northeast of Lexington for sixty years, raising their family there. Tad and Melba had five kids, one of which preceded them in death. Melba had five grandchildren who spent as much time with her as possible and could not get enough of her toast and cookies. Although, it was hard to sneak anything due to everything being wrapped in saran wrap or multiple layers of freezer bags and twist ties. Melba would never admit to being the fantastic cook and baker that she was. She also had a major disdain for photos of herself.

Melba is survived by daughter Michelle Burns and her husband Don, of Pendleton, Mark Miller and his wife Shannon of Lexington, daughter, Nancy Weinke and her husband Mike of Pilot Rock, and Steven Miller and his wife Rhonda of Walla Walla. Her brother Delmer Crawford lives in Hermiston. Melba's five grandchildren are Corey Miller, Marcy Walton, Austin Weinke, Bailey Weinke and Christopher Weinke. She also has three great-grandchildren. Besides her husband Tad she is preceded in death by her parents, Wate and Mable Crawford, siblings Vern Crawford, Margaret Morgan, Sam Crawford, Ruth Voorhees, Rollo Crawford and Harlan Crawford, as well as son Gregory.

Memorial contributions may be made to the St. Patrick Altar Society, PO Box 633, Heppner, OR 97836.