LOUISE ALICE SELENA MILLER (nee Borud, maiden name Sanford)

LOUISE ALICE SELENA MILLER (nee Borud, maiden name Sanford)

Louise Alice Selena Miller (nee Borud, maiden name Sanford) was born in Vegreville, Alberta on December 25, 1921 to Stanley and Florence Sanford, passed away April 23, 2025 – she was 103 years old.  The Sanfords farmed in the Park Grove area and that is where Louise (affectionately known in later years as Grannie) grew up and attended grade school. Her early years were spent helping on the farm with siblings Edward, Arnold and later, Kathleen.

In 1941 she enrolled in the Royal Canadian Air Force and was stationed in Pemberton as a Corporal until the end of the war. She then attended Vermillion College for three years, studying agriculture and home economics.

Kids came next for Grannie, six children who were truly the center of her world. Unfortunately, she became a single parent, raising her children on her own in 1966. She took on clerical work to support the family for a number of years, until she secured a position with Alberta Government Telephones/AGT, where she worked until retiring in 1987.

She met an old acquaintance in 1969 and the two fell in love. John Miller and Grannie were married in 1972.  John bravely took on six stepchildren, and they remained happily married for many years until John’s death in 1997.

Grannie had many interests — loved to travel and especially loved Hawaii. In her retirement she would drive, fly or take the bus to visit her children and grandchildren, earning the nick name “Roadrunner”.

Grannie was Leader for Brownies, Guides and the Canadian Girls in Training, she was an avid gardener – everyone loved her prize-winning rose collection, she loved to cook, preserve, and bake. She could make an Angel Food cake like no one else.  She was not much for alcohol however, she would enjoy the occasional glass of Gewurztraminer. She enjoyed quilting with her sister-in-law Dorothy and one of their projects was a Quilt of the John & Selina Sanford Family, with the support of the Sanford Clan.  John and Selina Sanford arrived in Strathcona on March 27, 1905 from London, England along with 8 children.  She was always knitting or crocheting her lovely afghans with the support of her daughter Carolynne. If you knew Grannie at all, you were probably gifted an afghan at some point. She was fond of feeding the birds and the neighbourhood strays, much to the dismay of her neighbours. In later years, after she developed macular degeneration, she could often be found listening to an audio book and loved to share what she had ‘read’ with her virtual book-club.

Grannie relocated to Whitehorse, Yukon in 2013, where she lived with her son Stanley and his wife Susan until 2020, when she went into Copper Ridge Place until her passing. There, she continued to make friends and make the staff smile with her humour and singing with the constant support from Stanley/Susie and David/Kim.

She is predeceased by her husband, John Miller; her daughter Carolynne Zaseybida, her son Robert Borud, grandson Reagen Mazankowski & great-grandson Tristen Lindsay. She is survived by her loving family: Barbara and Alan Mazankowski (children Samantha/Anthony, Greg/Sarah, Carlyle/Laura & great grand babies Ayla, Talon, Abel, Scottie, Kyle/Annice, Kameron/Chanelle, Santana/Michael and great-great grand babies Liam, Carmyn, Cambree & Sage), Carolynne’s children: Justin/Weslandia, Nathan/Melissa, Alicia/Ed (great grand babies: Emily, James, Elizabeth, Brook, Reece, Atticus & Heath); Stanley and Susan Borud (children Elisha/Mark, John, Rob/Jessica, Emerald & great grand babies Shiloh, Costello, Max & Alaia); Candice and David Dowhaniuk (children Jennifer/Michael and Geoffery/Nikyta and great grandson Theodore); David Borud and Kim Thompson (children Laticia, Marcus and Curtis).  Ruby Wilson was always an amazing friend and confidant who supported Louise’s independent living in Vegreville for many years.

A Celebration of Life/Memorial and Internment at the Vegreville Cemetery will take place on Saturday, July 26^th, 2025. Donations can be made to:  https://cnib.akaraisin.com/ui/GNdonate/donations/start?it=1

Special thanks go to Dr. Quong and Dr. Chau, all the extraordinary staff at Copper Ridge Place, Veterans Affairs, the Whitehorse Legion, and the many, many friends who have shown Grannie much love over the years.