Mass of Christian Burial for Marcella Miller, age 101, of Hettinger, ND, will be held at 10:00 a.m. MT on Friday, August 17, 2018, at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Hettinger, ND.  Fr. Charles Zins will officiate with burial to follow in the Hettinger Cemetery.

Marcella Manning was born June 16, 1917 in southeastern South Dakota, the fourth child of Leander and Tillie Manning. Soon after her birth the family relocated to a farm about four miles southeast of Hettinger.

Marcella grew up on the family farm, and in later years loved to tell stories of throwing chickens off the roof and sneaking into a neighbor's house for cookies. She remembered counting cars when work on the Yellowstone Trail re-routed traffic past the farm. Growing up during the Depression years left a lasting impression on her and nothing was ever wasted.

Marcella attended grade school in Hettinger and high school at St. Mary's Catholic Boarding School in New England. After graduating from high school, Marcella obtained a teaching certificate at South Dakota Northern Normal and Industrial School in Aberdeen, SD. She taught for several years at one-room rural schools in Perkins County South Dakota.

On June 16, 1940, Marcella married Lewis Miller. She and Lewis became acquainted when the Miller family would occasionally stop at the Manning farm when traveling between Hettinger and their homestead in what is now the Government Pasture in South Dakota. During World War II Marcella and Lewis owned the O.K. Tire Shop in Hettinger where Lewis repaired tires to help keep vehicles and farm equipment operable throughout the war. They had one son, Clayton, and three daughters, Cleo, Cathy, and Corinne.

In 1961 Marcella took up golf and enjoyed playing whenever possible. She participated in a Minnesota School Sisters of Notre Dame charity golf tournament at the age of 90. Marcella enjoyed playing cards, visiting family and friends, and became an expert at all sorts of word games. She loved to read and perused the daily newspaper until her final days.

While raising her family, Marcella worked at the Sale Barn in Hettinger and in 1967 started a 20 year career in the office of the Community Memorial Hospital. Marcella made a point of visiting her friends and relatives who were in Western Horizons Care Center, she was active in the Altar Society of the Holy Trinity Catholic Church and a volunteer at the Community Clothes Closet. She was loyal to Hettinger and the West River medical staff, and would not consider moving anywhere else.

Marcella died June 27, 2018, at Western Horizons Care Center after a short illness. She was preceded in death by her husband of 56 years, Lewis, her parents Leander, Tillie (Johnson), and stepmother Francis (Kleeman) Manning; and siblings Agnes, Lawrence, and Joseph Manning. She is survived by her children Clayton (Susan) Miller, Cleo Markegard, Cathy Olson, and Corinne Renner; grandchildren Mike (Robin) Miller, Matt (Beth) Miller, Cindi (Wes) Dayus, Glen (Marie) Markegard, Tim (Erin) Olson, and Micah (Danielle) Olson; 11 great grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.