Betty Jo Gibson Miller

Betty Jo Gibson Miller was born on April 11, 1927, at home in Strawberry Plains. She was George, Sr. and Ida Gibson's eldest child. At three years old, near the onset of the Great Depression, she was diagnosed with polio and by age five was well enough to begin helping to care for her siblings, eventually totaling ten brothers and sisters: George, John, Albert, Tom, Mick, Ron, Anne, Charles, Nancy, and Kitty. Upon graduation from Carter High School, she enrolled in St. Mary’s School of Nursing with a commitment to join the Armed Forces upon completion of her education. Thankfully, the war concluded before her graduation, and she became a Public Health nurse in Jefferson County, where she served over 50 schools, conducted vaccination clinics, and made house calls to educate young mothers. She then began working for the Knox County Health Department while she completed her master’s degree in public health administration, eventually becoming the Knox County Health Department Director of Nursing, which allowed her to lead the development of several critical programs benefiting children and adults across the state. After 42 impactful years of caring for the community, she retired, devoting her time to her family and the Nances Grove Community. From an early age, she always wanted to marry a farmer, and in 1953, she succeeded. She and George Miller, Jr. were married at her childhood home, built a home in New Market, and over the next decade lovingly welcomed their four children into this world: Lajuana, Alex, Elaine, and Carter. Betty Miller’s greatest hardship was the loss of her firstborn, Lajuana, aged 9, in a car accident. Her children, Alex, Elaine, and Carter, married Shannon Welch, Chris Garner, and Pam Hubbard respectively, who together raised eight grandchildren on the family’s farms: Bran, Eli, Wyn, Ian, Betsie, Drew, George, and Sarah. It was at this point that her eldest grandson forever changed Betty’s name to “Munner,” which her descendants would lovingly call her from then on. Munner was loved not only by her children, their children, and the spouses of all, but also by her great-grandchildren: Landon, Micah, Maddie, McCager, Sagan, Lucy, Kepler, and Owyn. Betty left her earthly home on April 29, 2025, shortly after her 98th birthday, to enter her eternal home. The most important choice she made was as a teen when she accepted Jesus Christ as her Savior. Family and friends have the promise of eternity with her. She will always be remembered for the roles she played in the lives of those who loved her. A private graveside service will be held at Nances Grove Cemetery in New Market. Fielden Funeral Home is honored to serve the Miller family.

Betty Jo Gibson Miller

April 11, 1927 - April 29, 2025