Individual 3: Miller, Frances Dorthea (Fran)

Individual Record 3

Name} Miller, Frances Dorthea (Fran)

Family History} Olson

Title}

Race} White

Sex} Female

Birth: Date} Exa 24 Sep 1923

Place} Perth Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey

Marr.: Date} Exa 1 Oct 1944 M

Place} First Presbyterian Church, Alhambra, Los Angeles, CA (Link)

Death: Date} Exa 6 Jan 2013

Place} Pomona Valley Hospital, Pomona, Los Angeles, California

Burial: Date} Exa 12 Jan 2013

Place} Rose Hills Memorial Park, Whittier, Los Angeles, California

Grave Marker}

Source 1}	12 = Interview
Source 2}	52 = Interview
Source 3}	470 = Interview
Source 4}	2154=Birth record
Source 5}	2148=Newspaper
Source 6}	749 = 1930 USA cen
Source 7}	1249=Photograph
Source 8}	1334=1940 USA cen
Source 9}	559 = Newspaper
Source 10}	2032=Yearbook
Source 11}	132 = Invitation
Source 12}	1430=Marriage rec
Source 13}	2084=Marriage rec
Source 14}	1243=Newspaper

Parents: } Peter John Miller & Evelyn Mae Baldwin
Relationship No.} 3

1st Household No.} 259 = Atlanta, Fulton, Georgia

Occupation 1} Housewife
Occupation 2} Musician

Religion/Church} Presbyterian/Methodist

Spouses: Prime} Olson, Donald Keith (Don)
Total Number of} 1

Source 15} 1257=Letter
Source 16} 1266=Heirloom/Mem
Source 17} 2 = Interview
Source 18} 134 = Photograph
Source 19} 2114=1950 USA census
Source 20} 326 = Phone book
Source 21} 327 = Phone book
Source 22} 328 = Phone book

Source 23} 988 = City directy
Source 24} 161 = Photograph
Source 25} 862 = Photograph
Source 26} 621 = Land deed
Source 27} 473 = Invitation
Source 28} 450 = Invitation
Source 29} 1332=Photograph
Source 30} 671 = Photograph

Source 31} 630 = Photograph &
Source 32} 673 = Photograph
Source 33} 668 = Cookbook
Source 34} 1004=Index
Source 35} 68 = Business rec
Source 36} 541 = S.S. record
Source 37} 1335=Funeral rec
Source 38} 1094=Cemetery rec

Notes: Frances Dorthea Miller (Fran) was born 24 Sep 1923 in Perth Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey. The New Jersey Birth Index records her name as "Dorthea F. Miller". Her parents were Peter John Miller, treasurer of Carteret Trust Company, and Evelyn Mae Baldwin. She was named after her two grandmothers. She had two older brothers: John Leslie (Jack) born in 1919 and Robert Alfred (Bob) born in 1921. Her two younger brothers were Alfred Lincoln (Al) born in 1926 and Wilfred Baldwin (Will) born in 1929, all in New Jersey.

In the 1930 U.S. census, Fran's father was an inmate in the U.S. Federal Penitentiary, Alanta, Fulton, Georgia, and the family moved to Atlanta for one year. Her mother Evelyn Miller, 33, was renting a house at 265 N. Farrington, Altanta. The children were Jack, 10, Robert 8, Frances, 6, Alfred 4, and Wilfred, 11 months. Fran spent the 1st grade here.

Returning to Perth Amboy, her family moved almost every year, usually living in houses, but sometimes in small flats over store shops. On 5 Oct 1935, the family left for California by the southern route (Route 66), traveling in a Model A as seen at left. They settled in Wilmar (now Rosemead) on Stevens Street. Her only sister Ruth was born several years later.

In the 1940 U.S. census, Frances, 16, had completed her 2nd year of high school, and was living with her family at 2912 Stevens, San Gabriel, Los Angeles, California. Her parents, Peter J. Miller, 41, an accountant, and Evelyn, 43, owned their home, valued at $2,500. Her older siblings were Jack, 20, an apprentice, and Robert, 18, who had both completed high school; Her younger siblings were Alfred, 14, first year of high school, Wilfred, 10, fifth grade, and Ruth, 3 months.

Fran attended 7th through 12th grades at Alhambra High School, graduating in 1941. She was the winner of a Parent-Teacher Association scholarship award for maintaining the highest scholastic average of the girls in her class. Additionally she won a $600 music scholarship to the University of Redlands located in Redlands, California.

Fran attended the University of Redlands as a music major for one year before she had to interupt her studies to earn money. She became a riveter during WWII (1942-43) for Douglas Aircraft, Long Beach, California, working on the B-17 (Flying Fortress) aircraft. She returned to Redlands to complete her second year of studies. She was a member of Kappa Pi Zeta.

Frances Dorthea Miller, 21, married Donald Keith Olson, 37, on 1 Oct 1944 in the First Presbyterian Church of Alhambra, seen at right. At the time her husband was an inspector for a steel fabrication company, and the proprietor of the Alhambra Planing Mill. Members of the wedding party included Fran's cousin Betty Miller from New Jersey, her sister Ruth Miller, and her brothers Wilfred and Robert Miller. Following the wedding they spent a month long honeymoon in Don's cabin at Camp Baldy.

She and Don had 7 children, 16 grandchildren, and by 2005, 10 great-grandchildren.

Fran and Don's first home was at 1025 Edith Avenue, Alhambra. In Aug 1947, the house had become too small with their two daughters, Karen and Kristin, so they moved to 420 N. Second Street, Alhambra, Don's family home. Here they had five more children — Peter, Eric, Candace, David and James.

In the 1950 U.S. census, Frances D. Olson, 26, and her husband Donald K. Olson, 43, were living in Alhambra, Los Angeles, California. Don was the proprietor of a sash and door factory. Their children were Karen L., 4, Kristin E., Peter H., 1, and Eric R., 3 months.

Fran returned to college, earning her bachelor's degree in Sociology at California State University, Los Angeles in 1971. She started work on her masters degree, but the statistics course was a sticking point. She returned to a major in music. She was the only one of her siblings to go through college. She abandoned her studies when she and Don began to build a home at Mt. Baldy.

Fran was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Alhambra. She joined the church choir in late 1940, singing soprano. The choir is where she met her future husband, Donald Olson. In later years she sang for funerals and weddings. She left the Alhambra choir in 1973 or 1974 to sing with the Pasadena Congregational Church choir. One Palm Sunday, she was a soloist with the Alhambra Civic Chorus in Theodore DuBois' Lenten cantata, "The Seven Last Words of Christ". In 1997, she began singing with the Claremont Methodist choir. She also learned to play the organ, and later had a pipe organ built for their Mt. Baldy home. On 21 Mar 1982, Fran was the guest organist at the First Presbyterian Church, Don was singing in the choir, and their granddaughter Tiffany A. Holliday played flute to accompany the choir.

In 1969, Fran and Don celebrated their 25th Wedding Anniversary with a reception held in the Fireside Room of the Alhambra First Presbyterian Church. On Sunday, 30 Sep 1984, the children of Fran and Don helped them celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary in the home of their daughter Karen Hancock. In 1994, Fran and Don celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary, with a party at the home of their son David Olson.

In 1980, Fran and Don "retired" to the home they had built on their Mt. Baldy property. Over the years, Fran canned or froze many a pear, apple, and peach. She was also proficient in needlepoint, and grew many varieties of Iris at Mt. Baldy, as seen at right. She tried to walk daily, weather permitting, and enjoyed working jigsaw puzzles. She was a member of P.E.O. for about 45 years. Don died 3 Mar 1996. In Sep 2004, she retired from the mountains, moving into a condo on a golf course in Upland. In Dec 2004 the Olson family Christmas was celebrated there. However, Fran eventually returned to Mt. Baldy for a short time, renting a stone cabin on Bear Drive.

Finally, Fran retired from the mountains, to a one bedroom apartment in Claremont. In Nov 2012, she underwent open-heart surgery to replace her aortic valve. Complications followed, and she died 6 Jan 2013 in Pomona Valley Hospital, Pomona, California.

An open viewing for family and friends was held 12 Jan 2013 at Rose Hills Memorial Park, Whittier, California, and Fran was buried next to her husband. A Celebration of Life service was held the following day, 13 Jan 2013 at the Claremont United Methodist Church in Claremont, California.