"My dearest friend...thank you for all the memories. We were young and went our separate ways but 10 years ago became the best of friends. I will miss our phone calls, text messages and hold ALL the memories close to my heart. Watch over our grand children and keep them safe. ~REST IN PARADISE~ From your Maryland Family! Hugs to Heaven, Gin"
In loving memory of
Perry Bruce Miller
May 16, 1958 - November 23, 2015
Perry Bruce Miller, age 58, joined our Father in Heaven on Monday, November 23, 2015. He was born May 16, 1958 and was adopted at birth and raised in Baltimore, Maryland by Dr. Lloyd Miller and Maxine Miller. From a young age he was in love with singing. He performed with several choirs and at one point attempted to start a Christian rock band called Seraph. In addition to being a talented singer, Perry was also incredibly intelligent and very gifted at writing. His songs and poems have touched many hearts, and he has impacted many lives. His life was interesting and complicated, making countless poor life decisions. After returning to prison for a second time, he finally came to terms with his mistakes and made himself right with God.
Perry is survived by his ex-wife Gin Walker Meredith, their son Eric James Barrett and his 3 grandchildren, Samantha Makey Barrett, Savannah Elizabeth Barrett, and Seth Ryan Barrett, his son whom he never met, Gregory Michael Miller, his step daughter Emily Hoselton, his dear friend and roommate Harold Searcy, and many friends, colleagues, cohorts, and his church family at Gospel Light in Kalona.
A very special thank you is given to the wonderful care given at the University of Iowa Hospital, especially by Dr. Berg, and at St. Luke's Hospital in cedar Rapids,especially by the amazing nurses and technicians in the hospice center. Without these people Perry wouldn't have lived as long as he did, and his last few days would have been miserable. Thank You.
Funeral Services will be held at 2:00 PM on Wednesday, November 25, 2015, at the Gospel Light Fellowship in Kalona. Elders Ed Bateman and Lynn Helmuth will officiate. Burial will be in the Sharon Bethel Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM on Wednesday at Gospel Light Fellowship. A memorial fund has been established for Gospel Light Fellowship. The Yoder-Powell Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.
Tributes
"I first met Perry when I was a member of the Oakdale Community Choir and Songwriters' Workshop during my senior years of college. I enjoyed his poetry that he shared with the group. One Tuesday night I will never forget was the night Perry shared his poem "Dear Younger Me" with the class and Catherine Wilson helped him turn his poem into a song right on the spot. I remember being truly amazed to watch the birth of a song, and Perry's song became one of my favorites from my time with the Oakdale Community Choir. I only worked with Perry for a short amount of time, but I will always remember him as a kind and creative man. Today during my 5th grade music class, I told my students the story of a man named Perry that I knew from my time singing in prison. I told them that he was a kind, creative, and musical man who had made some pretty bad choices and hurt some people in his life pretty badly, but decided to change his life for the better. I told them about a man who left this world, but left his songs and words behind so we could remember the way he decided to make good choices. I let them know what anyone can decide to be kind and be a better person, even if it is difficult. I cannot attend the memorial service, but I will pull out my recording of the OCC singing "Dear Younger Me" to share with my students. "
"Thank you, Perry Miller, for your bright light, creative expressions, and wise words. Through the Oakdale Choir that I direct, I am grateful for the opportunity to meet and collaborate with Perry. Below is a beautiful letter he wrote to me that is appropriate to reflect upon as we grieve his passing: Reflections from Perry Miller on Compassion Written in a letter to Mary Cohen May 12, 2013 "I just today finished reading a sermon by an American pastor who lives in Costa Rica with his family. The sermon is called 'Faith Responds to Suffering.' In it, he talks about a number of tragedies in the lives of others and in his own, some of which caused him to leave this country, perhaps in search of the joy that was lacking here. One of his conclusions is: 'Our heart is like a container. It contains so much acceptance and understanding for others' (read compassion). As we suffer, something happens to that capacity. God enlarges our heart. He enlarges our sensitivity to the needs of others. "What a concept! We suffer, God uses it to grow our hearts, and we find joy in our compassion for others. Too bad this basic principle seems difficult for the world to swallow. Instead of allowing sorrow to cripple our lives, why not let it point us to growth and increased depth in our relationships with others? Suffering can create great beauty that will give joy to all that come into contact with it. It seems you have captured an important truth and will now share it with others. Thank you for sharing your song with me." Perry is referring to Mary Cohen's song "Find the Joy" that she wrote while processing grief from her sister's May 20, 2012 car accident. "