Emilie "Jean" Grice (McNamara) Miler

Emilie Jean (McNamara) Grice Miler, born on February 10, 1929, entered God’s heavenly home on December 19, 2020. Jean was born to Evelyn (Finnegan) and Daniel McNamara, and grew up in Keokuk, Iowa.  She attended St. Vincent Catholic School and graduated from St. Peter’s Catholic High School in 1947.  Jean was married to George Grice on September 20, 1950.  They made their home in Keokuk, where she was a wife and homemaker.  Jean and George raised three children: Peggy, Danny, and Jane. 

Jean lost her husband, George, in the spring of 1986.  In 1997 she married Philip Miler and moved to Kewanee, Illinois.  She and Phil enjoyed music, dancing, and travel.  They were blessed with 18 years of marriage.  Jean lost Phil in 2015.  She spent her final years living in Ankeny, Iowa near her daughter Jane.

Jean was always thinking of others, taking time to visit her friends and family, and making sure everyone was remembered with cards and treats. Jean was known for her special coffee cakes at the holidays, which she baked in Christmas tree shaped pans and decorated with red and green maraschino cherries and tinsel. She loved shopping, baking, and spending time at her cottage by the Mississippi River in Sandusky, Iowa.  In her final years, Jean was always very excited to see all her great grandchildren, especially Lily and Jacob Stewart who were lucky enough to visit regularly. 

Jean is survived by her daughters, Peggy Grice of Fort Collins, Colorado, and Jane (Donn) Stone of Ankeny, Iowa, her three step-children, Tom (Jo) Miler of Kewanee, Illinois, Mary (Gary) O’Malley of Coralville, Iowa, and Pat Miler of Texas, and her brother Daniel (Brenda) McNamara of Keokuk, Iowa.  She had seven grandchildren: Aaron (Lisa) Miller of Amity, Oregon, Amanda (Steve) Swart of Ashburn, Virginia, Ashlie (Evan) Schoel of Frederick, Colorado, Angela (Joe) Blythe of Longmont, Colorado, Melissa (Rob) Stewart of Ankeny, Iowa, Michelle (Brad) Borrison of North Liberty, Iowa, and Matthew (Kelly) Stone of Colorado Springs, Colorado.  Jean was blessed with 15 great grandchildren, who she loved to see and spend time with.

Jean was preceded in death by her parents, her husband George Grice, her son Daniel Grice, her brother Joseph McNamara, her sister Marianne “Ticky” Quick, and her husband, Phil Miler.

A funeral mass will be held at 12:30 p.m. on December 23, 2020 at All Saints Catholic Church in Keokuk with a burial following at Keokuk National Cemetery. The funeral mass will be live-streamed at allsaintskeokuk.org/live. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to Keokuk Catholic Schools, Keokuk, Iowa or Visitation Catholic School in Kewanee, Illinois.

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