Ida Lee Miller is an amazing woman whose entire life reflects her deep interest in people and the world around her and her love of family, friends, and life itself. Throughout the years she has shared much of this zest for life and learning with others and for that we all are most thankful. Here are a few highlights from her wonderful life.
Ida Lee was born in Yoakum, Texas on March 10, 1910. Her childhood was spent in Hallettsville where her father, Frank Schoppe, was county school superintendent for many years. He also often taught summer school at Sam Houston College in Huntsville. Her mother, Lillie Gallia Schoppe, was a teacher and homemaker.
Ida Lee finished her degree at Southwest Texas University in San Marcos and married E.E. (Budge) Miller in 1929. The couple taught in La Grange, Taylor, and Denison, Texas. In 1946, they came to Beaumont where Budge directed the Lamar University’s Technical Arts Department until 1969. For 17 years, Ida Lee taught 2nd grade at Averill Elementary School. During the summers, they enjoyed travels around the South and to Mexico. They also helped with the education of underprivileged children in Mexico.
After her husband’s death in 1984, Ida Lee decided that, “a lot of idle time on her hands would be an invitation to be lonely”. It was then she began to get even more involved in her church activities, took up Body Recall and other exercise activities, began her annual travels to see relatives in Boulder, Colorado, more frequently visited family in Beeville, Texas, and participated even more actively with retirement groups and family in the Beaumont area.
An article in the Beaumont Enterprise almost ten years ago (February 16, 1995) highlighted her zest for life. She confided to the reporter that “Sometimes I’m glad when I don’t have to go anywhere. I enjoy reading – I read three devotionals a day – but some days, I can’t even read the newspaper as thoroughly as I’d like to because I’m so busy.” Her family members and friends have often benefited from Ida Lee’s love of reading the news as she often has shared articles of interest to their home activities, family life, and careers.
Ida Lee’s chief pleasure over the years has been singing. Most of her life she has been a singer. For many years she was in the church choir and enjoyed the special performances, particularly at Easter and Christmas.
Over recent years, her vigorous life style helped her better cope with Parkinson’s Disease. As she noted of herself back in the 1995 news article, she is not one to give up. After her long fight with the disease, she peacefully passed away on December 21, 2004 in a Beaumont hospital.
Her loved ones are many. In the immediate Beaumont area, she was surrounded by devoted cousins, Harry Schoppe who managed her affairs and care taking for many years; Dorothy, Preston, and Minnie Schoppe, and Bea Schoppe Armintor. She also had many excellent in-home devoted caregivers, Marie, Carolyn, Lela, Rose, Lorraine, and Dina.
Ida Lee’s family includes her younger sister, Frankie Bentrup of Austin and her brother-in-law, Paul Bauer, husband of her other sister Grace who died in 2000; and their children and grandchildren. Her husband’s sister-in-law, Tolene McGreevy and husband Burk of Port Arthur, also remained in contact over the years.
Her nieces and nephews and their families include; Grace and Paul Bauer’s daughter, Paulette Bauer Middleton and her husband Dave Renné and children (Maren & Erin Middleton and Chris & Jeannie Renné) all from the Boulder, Colorado area; Frankie’s children: Beryl and her husband Ray Mack of Houston and their sons Ben and Burt Bell and Wallace Mack; Betsy and her family, husband Jim and children Will and Lillie Armstrong of New York City; Ben Bentrup of North Carolina, his wife Nicci and children Brett and Benny; and Benne Walton and her husband Ken and their families. Tolene McGreevy’s family includes Jim Miller and wife Carla of Thatcher, Arizona and children Steven and John Daniel, Johanna Morisey and husband Jim of Rosenberg and their daughter Rachel; and nephew Don Queen’s family includes his widow Sharon Queen of Sugarland and their children Don, Tami, and Kellie.
Funeral services will be 1:00 p.m. Thursday, December 30th at the First United Methodist Church at 701 Calder in Beaumont followed by burial at Magnolia Cemetery on Pine Street in Beaumont under the direction of Broussard’s, 2000
McFaddin. Pallbearers include Clifford Frederick, Ray Mack, Burk McGreevy, Jim Miller, Jim Morisey, Arnie Strickland, and Carl Wiedenfeld.
Honorary pallbearers include Ben Bentrup, Steven Miller, Jerry Hentschel, John Daniel Miller, and Marne Meynig.
A gathering of family and friends will be from 5:00 until 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, December 29th at the mortuary.
In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made to the First United Methodist Church, 701 Calder, Beaumont, Texas 77704 and/or the National Parkinson’s Foundation, 1501 N. West 9th Street, Miami, Florida 33136.
