BIOGRAPHY

Esther Miller was born in Elkhart, Indiana, USA, on 14 November 1906, to parents Wilbur and Elsie Templin. She attended Purdue University in Indiana, belonging to the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority. When she was 20, she was injured in a car accident that killed two people, with her hand being crushed by broken glass. After her mother begged the doctor to not amputate the hand, she managed to recover from the injury, losing only her little finger in the end.

An accomplished musician, she worked as a concert violinist for St. John’s College. She was married to Earl E. “Rip” Miller (1901-1991), an American football player and coach notable for playing college football at the University of Notre Dame from 1922 to 1924. The couple would have three children together (all of whom outlived their parents), and were together for 63 years until Rip’s death at the age of 90.

Despite a family history of longevity (her father lived to the age of 97), she couldn’t account for her long life. A smoker in her youth, she also drank alcohol in moderation, but lived an otherwise healthy life, continuing to play golf into her 90s. In addition, she was a member of both the Severn River Garden Club and the Pan-Hellenic Club, and was active in the Girl Scouts as a leader.

Esther Miller died in Annapolis, Maryland, USA, on 18 April 2017 at the age of 110 years, 155 days. She was survived by her three children, eight grandchildren, and 14 great-grandchildren.

RECOGNITION

Her age was verified by Stefan Maglov and Jimmy Lindberg, and was validated by LongeviQuest on 24 March 2024.

ATTRIBUTION

* “Widow of famed gridiron lineman Rip Miller dies at age 110” – Capital Gazette, 24 June 2019
* “Esther Templin Miller” – Legacy, 18 April 2017

GALLERY