I. Elaine Miller

I. Elaine Miller, age 82, died on Aug. 28 at the Riverside Health Care Center. Elaine was born December 14, 1929 to Aleta A. and Lee H. Poncin in Waterloo, Iowa. She spent her childhood in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, graduating from McKinley High School in 1948. In 1949 she married Robert Pisney, they divorced in 1957. She married David Miller in 1976, they divorced in 1985. Elaine worked at Collins Radio Corporation as an electronics technician for 27 years. During this time she worked on the Apollo, Mercury, and Gemini Aero Space Projects. She was active in the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), President of the Hawkeye Labor Ladies Auxiliary. She also served on the Board of Directors for the local Chapter of the American Red Cross in Iowa. After retirement in 1977 she moved to Missoula where she owned and managed Dura Clean Carpet Cleaners. In 1980 she moved to Polson and worked as a school custodian in the Polson school system. In February of 1987 she moved back to Cedar Rapids, missing Montana she returned to Missoula in 2001. Elaine has been active in the Methodist Church sharing her musical talents in church choirs. She always enjoyed the out of doors and was an avid fisherman; getting out to spend time on a lake or river was a special outing. She also enjoyed gardening of all kinds. Family includes: Sister Joan Ortmann of Kalispell; nephew Mark Angellini of Wichita, Kansas; nieces Debbie Williams, Lisbon, Iowa; Denise Ortmann, Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Julie Underwood, Mechanicsville, Iowa; and Aleta McNeeley, Columbia Falls; sister Donna Chapmon of Lakeside and niece Rebekah King of Lakeside, brother Dave Poncin of Grangeville, Idaho and nephews David Poncin of Pray, and Greg Poncin on Kalispell, Rick Carey, Allen, Texas; and KS Carey, San Antonio, Texas. Elaine is preceded in death by brother Richard Carey and her parents. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the music department of Grace United Methodist Church, S. 10th W. and Garfield, Missoula, Montana. Funeral arrangements are being provided by Garden City Funeral Home and took place in the Grace Methodist Church with Reverend Vicki Horn. A memorial service was held 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 4.