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Obituary for Sandra Whatley Miller
Sandra Whatley Miller died peacefully on Sunday, August 29, 2021 at her home in Ridgeland. She was 76.
Sandra was born on January 13, 1945, in Memphis, Tenn., to the late James Zebedee and Mary Ward Gordin Whatley. She grew up in Drew, Miss., and graduated from Drew High School in 1963. She attended Mississippi University for Women and graduated from Delta State University with a degree in education. For more than 40 years, she was a dedicated educator, primarily teaching second grade in public schools across the Delta. Devoted to her students, she taught them more than just the curriculum and shared with them immense love, lessons in good manners and table setting.
Sandra married the love of her life, Tom Parks Miller, in 1980 in Drew. Together, they were known widely for their cooking and entertaining, hosting hundreds for all-day dove hunts, Thanksgiving dinners and countless wedding parties. Sandra expressed her love through food and was equally adept at gourmet cooking and traditional Southern fare. Her attention to detail was unmatched. In addition to her talents in the kitchen, she also excelled at floral design and her home was never without an incredible arrangement made of clippings from her yard and garden. There was always room at her table, and she was a second mother to many.
Family meant everything to Sandra, and she loved being “Mimi” to her many grandchildren.
The Millers moved to Greenwood in the early, 1990s, and after retiring, she and Tommy moved into the Montrachet neighborhood in Ridgeland where they enjoyed a wonderful community of friends. A certified Master Gardener of Mississippi, Sandra was the go-to person in the neighborhood for advice on all things flora and fauna.
In addition to her parents, she is preceded in death by her husband, Tom Parks Miller, and daughter-in-law, Mary Rentmeester Miller.
She is survived by her children: son, Dean O’Neal (Susan), of Starkville; son, Preston O’Neal (Adriann), of Canton; daughter, Mary Margaret White (Barry), of Jackson; son, Kelly Miller, of Canton; daughter, Amy Miller Ramsey (Allen), of Matthews, NC; grandchildren: Abby O’Neal, Emily O’Neal, Julia Sharpe, Lily Claire O’Neal, James O’Neal, Weezie White, Dorothy White, Jennifer Sevin (Jacob), Sam Miller (Kate), and Parker Ramsey; brother, Jimmy Whatley (SuSu); and a host of other relatives.
Graveside services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, September 2, 2021, at Drew Cemetery in Drew, MS, the Rev. Les Hegwood, officiating.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or visit www.stjude.org.
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