Mavis Louise (Peterson) Miller, 85, went to walk with the Lord on Monday, April 8, 2019.

Mavis was born Feb. 18, 1934, to Clifford and Olive Peterson in Albert Lea, Minnesota. When she was four years old, her family moved to a farm near Hayward, Minnesota, where she attended elementary school and graduated from Albert Lea High School in 1952. She worked as a bookkeeper at Interstate Power in Albert Lea, Farmers State Bank in Hayward, and later in life at Norwest (now Wells Fargo) Bank in Austin, Minnesota, for 10 years.

She met her husband, Raymond Miller, on a 4-H hayride in 1951. They married on April 18, 1953, at St. Augustine Catholic Church in Austin when Ray was home on furlough during the Korean conflict. Their first year of married life was spent apart while Ray served our country.

Ray and Mavis farmed together near Oakland, Minnesota, for over 40 years, raising Guernsey dairy cattle that were often awarded honors at county and state fairs and selling their milk to Anderson Erickson dairy in Iowa. They were blessed with two daughters. They were 4-H leaders and active in St. Edwards Catholic Church and the South Central Guernsey Association. Mavis kept things neat on the farm (and white show clothes clean) and often hosted family parties in the farm’s Honey House cottage. They moved into Austin in 1997.

Mavis was legally blind for the past 30 years, 20 years after being diagnosed with type I diabetes, but that didn’t stop her from living life to the fullest and making sure everyone she touched felt special, particularly during holidays. She had her daughters’ childhood dolls restored. She was the best “baby rocker.” She still made the best divinity (her husband Ray taught her how), hot chocolate (for the snowmobilers and skiers), lemon pie and chocolate chip cookies in spite of her inability to see. Her other senses became her eyes. She had a beautiful voice, sang in the church choir, loved to dance and loved the Minnesota Twins (when they were winning).

She took good care of Ray when his health began to fail. She moved into Sacred Heart Assisted Living after Ray passed away and thrived for five-and-a-half years before suffering a stroke last November when she moved into Sacred Heart Care Center. She was an amazing individual who was deeply loved by many and will be sorely missed. Her dear friend Chuck Keller captured her words of wisdom as follows: “Be kind to one another, keep a smile on your face, and always appreciate the good that is done for you.”

She is survived by three sisters, Shirley (Dick) Kraushaar, Austin, Darlene (Blaine) Hoar, Royal, Arkansas, and Gayle (Earl) Neist, Albert Lea; one brother, Chuck Peterson, Albert Lea; two daughters, Kathy (Eric) Rohrbaugh, Havertown, Pennsylvania, and Donna (Doug) Hogan, Las Vegas, Nevada; four granddaughters, Madison, Bethesda, Maryland, Sydney Rohrbaugh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Ashly (Cody) Beckes, Anchorage, Alaska, and Samantha (Jon) Manning, Monticello, Minnesota; five great-grandchildren, Axel and Anja Beckes and Wesley, Camila, and baby boy Manning, due in July; and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and family friends.

There to greet her in Heaven were her parents, Clifford and Olive Peterson; her father and mother-in-law, Ed and Evelyn Miller; husband, Raymond Miller; brother, Clayton Peterson; sister-in-law, Mary Peterson; brothers and sisters-in-law, Francis and Elaine Miller and Wayne and Leona Miller; niece, Beth Berhow; and many dear friends and family.

A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 13, 2019, at St. Edwards Catholic Church with Fathers James Steffes and Dale Tupper officiating.  Friends may call from 6-8 p.m. on Friday, April 12, 2019, at Mayer Funeral Home and for one hour before the service on Saturday at the church. Interment will be in Fairview Cemetery in Oakland. Per the family’s request, in lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the donor’s choice in memory of Mavis Miller. Condolences may be left online at www.mayerfh.com.