Mabel Jane (Wiese) Miller was born on August 5, 1920 in Redondo Beach, California, to Herbert and Rose Wiese. She attended the local grammar and high school, Compton Junior College, and Southwestern Business School in Los Angeles. While in her teens, she was active in the Rainbow Girls (an organization supported by the Eastern Stars), and became the second Worthy Advisor of the newly-formed Redondo Beach Chapter.

Among her many achievements were a first-place ribbon at the Los Angeles County Fair for an 8th grade sewing project, second place in the Native Daughters of the Golden West High School Public Speaking contest, and second place in the Los Angeles County typing contest.
She was a self-taught piano and accordion player, and the first accordion player to be accepted into the High School Marching Band.

In September 1940, she married Dale Charles Miller at the Redondo Beach First Christian Church. In 1954, in search of a better place to raise their growing family, the Millers moved to a 139-acre ranch on McCourtney Road, Grass Valley. They raised white-faced herefords, and enjoyed working with the various organizations in which their four children were involved: 4-H, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and FFA. They were also members of the Square Knots square dance club.

Mabel worked for the County of Nevada in the Planning Department for over 25 years. She began as a part-time secretary when that office was staffed by only two people, Bill Roberts as Planning Director, and Sharon Boivin as his assistant, in a one-room office shared by the Building Department on Commercial Street in Nevada City. She served as Clerk to the Planning Commission during the adoption of a county-wide zoning ordinance, subdivision ordinance, and the Nevada County General Plan. She proceeded to work as Secretary to the Board of Supervisors for five years before her retirement in October 1987.

She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Ken and Christine Miller of Forrest Ranch, daughter and son-in-law Laurie and Bruce Piner of Penn Valley, daughter-in-law Jan Miller of Florence Oregon, and grandchildren Kendra Miller, Frank Piner, and Isaiah Miller.

She was preceded in death by her husband Dale Charles Miller in 1976, son Gerald Allen Miller in 1964, and son John Robert Miller in 2002.

In lieu of flowers, Mabel’s request was for a donation to be made to the Gerald Allen Miller Scholarship Fund Alpha Psi Foundation PO Box 4092, Stockton, CA 95204-4092.