Sylvia Blanche Mutchler was born in the house her father and grandfather had built just west of the brick house built by grandfather Isaiah on the Mutchler farm about a mile northeast of Oceola. Her family moved to the brick house soon after her grandmother Harriet died in 1900. She was the secon daughter and fourth child of William Isaiah Mutchler and Rebecca Patton. She lived at home until her marriage to Walter Miller in 1913.

Sylvia completed 8 grades of school at Eden Center (then located at the road intersection about a mile north of Oceola) as had her older siblings. She also went 3 or 4 years more and could have taken the Boxer Exam to teach but decided not to.

She and her husband had 9 children, 7 survived to maturity. As with most people in those times, little money was available. Loss of a farm early in their marriage was difficult but husband Walter got a job with the railroad and later with the stone quarry. Another loss was when their house burned on July 5, 1938 and practically everything they owned was burned in the fire. All they got out was a side board, carpet, and a couch other then what night clothes they had on. Dolly's Shirley Temple doll was on the couch.

Husband Walter died of a heart attack on January 28, 1950 when he was 62. He didn't get a retirement from the stone quarry so his wife was left with little income. At that time they lived in a house they owned about 1/2 mile north of Oceola. Sylvia went to homes to care for children while their mothers were in the hospital with new babies. She did "Pointy" Motter's washing. She also took care of Emma Wyer in her house north of Oceola.

The only 3 ttimes her daughter Arlene saw her cry was once when her home-made loaves of bread stored in lard cans froze, once when the house burned, and once when husband Walter died.

Sylvia was faithful member of the old Bethel and Oceola EUB churches. She was very active in the Women's groups and Sunday School Classes. She had a good, strong soprano voice and sang straight (no vibrato) like her brother Jesse. Her daughter Jane and her son-in-law Alton Bower cared for in her last years and she died in their home on Monnett Chapel road southeast of Bucyrus. She was 83 years old.

Contributed by Arlene Honsberger