Doris "Grandma" Anna Hazel Ruehl Miller

On Monday, September 25th, 2023, Doris “Grandma” Anna Hazel Ruehl Miller, loving and caring mother to five children passed away peacefully surrounded by her family. She went home to the loving arms of her Jesus Lord and Savior and waiting for her was her husband Al, son Dennis and best friend Marie.

Doris was born on December 13th, 1930 in Union City, NJ to Dorothy Speiker and Fredrick Ruehl. She graduated from Emerson High School in 1947. She then continued her education and graduated from college at the age of 70 years old from Randolph Community College to earn her Early Childhood associate degree. 

Doris and her beloved husband, Al, raised their 5 children in West New York, NJ, until they both relocated with their youngest daughter Kathleen to Asheboro, NC in August of 1983. She was a lifetime member of 60 years to Eastern Star, member of Red Hats association, faithful member of First United Methodist Church. 

Doris was a fabulous baker. Her favorite thing to bake was Pound cakes and for her grandchildren peanut butter and chocolate squares.  Her faith in God was so important to her, she would always say, “The Man upstairs always write the book and you need to have faith and prayer each day.” She enjoyed spending as much time with her family as possible, family was always first in her heart. She loved making scrapbooks, knitting, playing cards with her family and friends, recently she started making playing card holders, she loved being around children which kept her young, for those that knew her they would call her “Grandma”, she loved parties, she loved pizza and beer, she loved her “hot” tea and milk and her food always had to be “hot”, her favorite thing was to send cards to everyone for birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, just because, and she would also find a cartoon and write your names on them to put into her cards, she loved her typewriter and her white out and throughout the years she would always wrap gifts with at least a whole roll of tape, she also loved to make blankets for her grandchildren when they graduated high school and for their friends.

Her family has described their mother and grandmother as religious, soft hearted, selfless, loving and caring, creative, witty, she always checked on everyone , radiant, dancer, spunky, stylist, card playing, Best Friend, Different, unique, fearless, strong, independent, her laugh was infectious like a getting a train rolling into the tracks, stylist in her clothes and jewelry,  she never like the word “old”, she was cold all the time, always stay out of her kitchen, her favorite thing to hear was her grandchildren singing the 12 days of Christmas to her every Christmas (that was definitely not her favorite song at all).

Doris worked at a bank on Wall Street, Kiddyland in NJ and moved to NC and worked at Laughlin Hosiery Mill and her last and favorite job was working at The Rainbow Connection Child Care Center where everyone knew her as “Grandma.”
She was proceeded in death by her parents Dorothy Ruehl and Fredrick Ruehl, husband of 43 years, Floyd “Al” Herman Miller, her son Dennis William Miller and her brother.

She is survived by her loving sister, Barbara Savino and her brother in law Albie Savino, her loving daughters Nora “Cookie” Traphofner, (Jack Deceased) Deborah “Debbie” Gilley, (Bob Deceased) Candy Mercer, Kathleen Vuncannon (Darrell)
 17 grandchildren, Kim Threet, Alisa Scoggins, Loretta Traphofner, Maryanne Risner, Joanne Davis, Charlie Traphofner, Dennis Miller Jr. (Marie), Michael Miller, Candy Jones, James Havens, Stacy Steady, James Howard Jr. (Jessica), Heather Cruz (Juan), Melissa Ramos (Arnoldo) Justin Mercer, Christopher Vuncannon (Kayleigh) Ashley Arnet (Joey).

She was also a Great Grandma (Double G) Great, Great, Grandma, Great, Great, Great grandma, and Great Great Great Great Grandma. 

Her favorite quote that she lived by which was always on her Refrigerator was “Live your life and forget about your Age.”

The family will receive friends on Thursday, September 28, 2023 from 6:00-8:00 pm at Pugh Funeral Home, 437 Sunset Avenue in Asheboro.  Funeral services will be held on Friday, September 29, 2023 at 2:00 pm at First United Methodist Church, 224 North Fayetteville Street in Asheboro with Rev. Lynda Ferguson, Rev. Russ Ward, and Rev. Connie Weaver officiating.  Interment will follow at Oaklawn Cemetery.

Services will be livestreamed at fumcasheboro.org

Memorials may be made to SECU Family House, 1970 Baldwin Lane, Winston-Salem, NC 27103 or First United Methodist Church, 224 N. Fayetteville St., Asheboro, NC 27203 or the charity of the donor’s choice.