Mary Ellen Miller

After over 103 years on this earth, Mary Ellen Nelson Miller has moved on to her next adventure. She was born in Walla Walla on November 17, 1921. Her parents, Lawrence Nelson and Anna Burrows Nelson were both descendants of early Walla Walla pioneers.

The family farmed and lived in Valley Grove, and Mary Ellen traveled by horse to attend Valley Grove School. Later, the family moved into town, and she graduated from St. Vincent Academy. She then went on to Yakima Junior College.

In 1946, she married Ward Miller in St. Patrick’s Church. They moved to the Seattle area in 1958, living first in Bellevue and later in Langley on Whidbey Island. After her husband’s death in 1991, she moved back to Walla Walla.

Mary Ellen was always interested in family history and wrote three books about the history of her family: Burrows Meets O’Shea: Family Ensues (1998), Nelson – McInroe Unions (2006), and From Ireland to America (2021).

Mary Ellen is survived by her son, Ward; daughter-in-law, Margaret; grandchildren, Cameren and Adrian; nieces, Virginia Kent and Susan Arnold; and nephews, Larry Wright, Mike Creevan, and Richard Creevan. She was preceded in death by her husband, Ward; her brother, Virgil Nelson; her sisters, Esther Wright and Iona Rondema; her niece, Georgene Grant; and her nephew, Ted Rondema.

A rosary will be held on Tuesday, December 10, 2024, at 6:00 PM, at the Chapel of the Herring Funeral Home. Funeral mass will be held on Wednesday, December 11, 2024, at 10:00 AM, at St. Patrick Catholic Church. Burial will follow at Mountain View Cemetery. Friends and family are invited to sign the online guestbook at www.herringgroseclose.com.