Olive Miller

Olive Ruth Gilchrist Miller died at 6:07 am on October 19, 2021, at the age of 100. 

Olive was born on April 21, 1921 in Marion Township, Butler County Pennsylvania to Thomas Ralph Gilchrist and Carrie Critchlow Gilchrist.  She was one of seven children having five brothers and a twin sister. 

Olive graduated from Harrisville High School in 1939 and then went to Slippery Rock State Teachers College.  Before her junior year she married Clifford D. Miller and was the first married student at the college.  They were married August 29, 1941 in Russell, Kentucky.  They were married 74 years until his death in 2015.

Olive taught all eight grades in several Irwin Township one room country schools and then when the country schools consolidated, she taught at Victory Joint School.  She enjoyed being a teacher and taught for 34 years before retiring in 1982.

In 1965 Olive and Cliff bought land near Kennerdell bordering Scrubgrass Creek and developed and operated Kant-Cha-Cum Campground.  After 19 years, they sold the campground and moved to a waterfront home in the village of Kennerdell.  They loved living by the Allegheny and stayed there for 27 years.

Olive was a member of the Clintonville Grace United Methodist Church.  She also was a member of the Order of the Eastern Star, AARP, NEA, PSEA, PASR and the Venango Teachers Association.

She loved being with her family and kept in touch with her extended family living in many states by calling them every Christmas instead of sending cards.  She was always a wealth of information and will be greatly missed by her family.

Olive is survived by her son Larry Duane Miller and his wife Sandy of Rocky Grove, Pa., a daughter Sue Ellen Hovis and her husband Robert of Polk, Pa. There are six surviving grandchildren, Tracy Heasley and her husband Matthew, Jason Miller and his wife Kelly, Tricia Miller and Bob Montgomery, Matthew Hovis and his wife Liza, Joshua Hovis and Katie Cooklin, and Jacob Hovis and his wife Jacquelyn. There are 13 great-grandchildren: Colton, Peyton, Jaden, Jemma, and Jaxon Miller, Matthew, Jeffrey, Nathan, Ryan and Samuel Heasley, Alyas, Ivy, Jayne, Josephine, Ruth Hovis.  Olive is also survived by her twin sister Opal McCarl of Myrtle Beach SC, and many nieces and nephews.

Preceded in death by her parents, husband, her five brothers Donald, William, Wayne, Chester and Ross Gilchrist; and her grandson Jeffrey Miller.

Family will welcome friends at the Larry E. McKinley Funeral Home, 109 Emlenton Street, Clintonville, on Friday, October 22, 2021 from 2-4 and 7-9.  Funeral services will take place at the funeral home Saturday, October 23, 2021 at 11:00 am. with an hour of visitation prior to the funeral service.  Rev. Dennis Miller will be officiating.  Burial will take place at Harrisville Cemetery, Harrisville.  

Friends can email condolences by visiting www.mckinleyfuneralhome.net

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Olive Miller, please visit our floral store.