Carolyn A. Miller, 87, of Burlington, Iowa died peacefully at Southeast Iowa Regional Hospice House on Sept. 21, 2024. She was born in Burlington on May 3, 1937, to Glenn and Vivian Milton Miller. Carolyn’s life was one of service and sacrifice grounded in Christian love. Earning a BS and MA in Nursing at the University of Iowa and Certification in Nurse-Midwifery at Else Inglis Maternity Hospital in Edinburg, Scottland, she spent the majority of her professional life from 1966 to 1990 as a medical missionary with the Lutheran Church in America (now ELCA) serving as a nursing and midwifery practitioner and instructor at Phebe Hospital & School of Nursing and Cuttington University College in rural Liberia, West Africa. She served the goal of educating nurses who could eventually take over key nursing and teaching positions and improve healthcare in the country long term. In response to her witnessed need to reduce the high maternal and infant mortality in the country, she started a class for Certified Midwives writing the curriculum so that those with a 6th grade level of education could be adequately trained in safe midwifery practices. In 1980, she founded the Phebe Hospital Midwifery School to train BSN Nurse-Midwives in midwifery and teaching skills to prepare midwifery educators, one of only two in West Africa at the time. While she claimed the founding of this school as her greatest professional achievement, she noted that her student’ achievements were really her greatest achievements. The magnitude of the impact she made on maternal healthcare in rural Liberia cannot be overstated. In 1976, she was awarded the Knight Commander of the Liberian Humane Order of African Redemption by Liberian President William R. Tolbert Jr. for her work. In 2023, the maternity ward at Phebe Hospital was rededicated as the Carolyn A. Miller Maternity Ward to recognize her contributions. Known most commonly as Miss Miller, she also proudly accepted the titles of Aunty, Mommy, and Old Ma from hundreds of Liberians, often helping to pay their school fees and supporting the babies she delivered long into life. After returning to the United States in 1990, she and her family continued to support Phebe Hospital through Liberia’s 14 year-long civil war by shorting and shipping over 60 tons of donated medical supplies to the hospital providing much-needed assistance. She worked at Maternal Health Center in Bettendorf, Iowa until her retirement in 2002. She then kept busy by volunteering with hospice, serving as an elementary student mentor, participating in a writers’ group, staying active at Messiah Lutheran Church, and spending extremely valuable time with her biological family while keeping in close contact with her Liberian “family.”
Carolyn is survived by her siblings - Venita (Don) Myatt, Janis Miller, and Tom (Lorna) Miller all of Burlington, nephews - Dan Myatt, Steve Myatt, and Tim (Marla) Myatt all of Burlington and Titan (Danielle) Miller of Tehachapi, Calif., niece – Dione (Ben) Stepanek of La Crosse, Wis., two great nephews, one great niece, and many Liberian and Missionary “family.” She was preceded in death by her parents, Glenn and Vivian Miller, niece, Gena Myatt, and many Liberian friends and “family.”
Visitation will be 5 p.m to 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 4 at Lunning Chapel where the family will receive friends. The funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 5 at Messiah Lutheran Church. Pastor Damisha McFarland-Pollock will officiate. Interment will be in Spring Grove Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to support Global Health Ministries, Messiah Lutheran Church, and scholarships for K-12 students at the Carolyn A. Miller School in Monrovia, Liberia.