Miller, Karen Joan (1962-1974)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1975 Jan 9 p. 7

Birth date: 1962

text of obituary:

12-Year-Old Rural Goshen Girl Dies In Mexico Motel

Goshen, Ind. — Funeral services were held in the Townline Conservative Mennonite Church near Shipshewana on Friday forenoon, Jan. 3, for 12-year-old Karen Joan Miller, who died from fumes while staying in a Piedras Negras, Mexico motel.

The girl had gone with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Simon H. Miller, and 10-year-old sister Cherie on a holiday vacation trip to Mexico. They were staying in a motel at Piedra Negras the night of Dec. 29 when fumes from a faulty furnace filled their sleeping quarters.

Mrs. Miller notices fumes when she awoke, and alter found Karen dead in bed. Mr. Miller was unconscious but has now recovered. Cherie also was made ill.

The Miller family resides on Route 1, Goshen, and Karen was a seventh grade student at Fairfield Junior High. Surviving in addition to the parents and younger sister are four other sisters, Mrs. David Miller of Route 1, Mrs. Richard Bontrager of Route 6, Carolyn, 17, and Marilyn, 16, both of the home.

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Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1974 Jan 23 p. 8

text of obituary:

SHIPSHEWANA, INDIANA January 7, 1975

. . .

Tragedy came to the Simon Miller family of rural Goshen on Sunday, Dec. 29, when Mr. and Mrs. Miller and two daughters, Karen, 12, and Cherie, 10, were vacationing in Mexico near the border of Mexico and Texas. They stayed in a motel at Piedras Negras that had a faulty gas furnace. Upon waking up on Sunday morning, Mrs. Miller and Cherie found Karen had died and Simon was unconscious. Katie and Cherie also felt sick. The Millers have six daughters. Early Monday morning Simon's brother Alpha left by plane and went to help them get across the border to a hospital in Texas, where Simon and Katie are still patients. Simon is now conscious, but gaining slowly. Cherie then returned with her Uncle Alpha for the funeral of Karen, which was held Friday morning, Jan. 3, at the Town Line Conservative Church. The sisters of Simon who came from a distance to be at the funeral were Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Beachy from Wisconsin, Mrs. Paul (Martha) Swartzentruber and daughters, and Mrs. Alvin (Leona) Bontrager and daughter of Minnesota. They are still here with their parents, the Henry S. Millers. Another sister, Fanny Ellen and husband, Amzie Yoder of Honduras, are expected to arrive in a day or so.

The funeral of Mrs. Savilla Bontrager, 86, was held on Friday morning, Jan. 3, at the Griner Conservative Church.

Erwin S. Eash, 80, died unexpectedly on Sunday morning, Dec. 29, as he was walking toward the house where church services were being held. His funeral was held at the Albert Yoder home on New Year's day.

The funeral of Rollin Bontrager, 90, was held at the Miller Funeral Home, Middlebury, on Jan. 1.

Funeral services for Walter Babb, 78, a long-time school teacher, were held at the Yoder-Culp Funeral Home in Goshen on Dec. 15.

Harry J. Schrock, 71, died of a heart attack on Dec. 12. The funeral services were held at the Forks Mennonite Church on Dec. 16.

— Mrs. M. E. Bontreger