Mary was born in Bayside Long Island, New York on September 6, 1922. She attended high school in New York and at the age of 18 came south to attend college at Florida State University which was then known as The Florida State College for Women. She was a member of the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi and in her junior year transferred to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she graduated in 1945 with a degree in Journalism. In 1970 she went back to school and earned her Master's Degree in Mass Communications from the University of Georgia.
Mary served in the Woman's Army Corps in Europe during WWII. While stationed in Paris she met Don Miller, also in the Army and they were married on February 28, 1946. After the war they settled in North Miami Beach, FL where Don opened a law practice, she taught 3rd and 4th grade and they had 3 daughters.
In 1959 the family moved to Suches, GA where they farmed (hogs and cattle) and she and Don both taught classes at Woody Gap school.
Their next move was to Winter Park, FL in 1966 where Mary worked on the editorial staff of the Florida Catholic News. This was a weekly newspaper serving Catholics of Central Florida and Mary had the distinction of being the first protestant to ever work there.
The Millers returned to North Georgia in 1971 where Mary purchased a building on the square in Dahlonega and was among the first to convert the space into a number of specialty shops. The new establishment was called Mary's Mini Mall and included The Gold Shop jewelry, Golden Memories Antiques and Books (owned by Mary) and numerous other stores through the years. This "Mini-Mall" concept soon caught on as other building owners followed suit thus helping change the face of Dahlonega as a tourist destination.
In 2002 she sold her shop to daughter Judi and she and Don moved to Lanier Village Estates in Gainesville, GA.
Mary was preceded in death by her husband Don Miller, grandson Sean McCluskey and son-in-law Thomas Clemmons.
She is survived by her 3 daughters Kathy Clemmons, Judi Boggs and Sandra McCluskey and sons-in-law Bill Boggs and Doby McCluskey. She is also survived by 6 living grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren.
A military honors service will be conducted at Zion Baptist cemetery in Suches, GA on Saturday July 9, 2011 and a memorial service will be held at Lanier Village Estates (TBD).
In lieu of flowers the family requests donations to a local charity of your choice.
