Mary Lou Miller
Mary Lou Miller, 82, formerly of Wolf Point died Nov. 10, 2025.
Mom was born on Oct. 29, 1943, to Ray and Florence Trudell at the Brodhead Home in Fairview, Mont. She joined five older siblings and was later blessed with two younger ones. She often reminisced about her cherished childhood on the family ranch west of Nohly, Mont, along the Missouri River. She loved the ranch deeply — the wide-open spaces, the freedom to ride horses and the joyful adventures she shared with her family and neighbors.
After graduating from Fairview High School, she attended Eastern Montana College in Billings, where she earned a two-year teaching certificate. She began her teaching career at the Arthur School south of Poplar, Mont. She adored her students and loved to recount the many adventures they shared. One of her favorite stories was the day she somehow managed to fit her students — and a handful of nieces and nephews — into her little Volkswagen Beetle for a trip to the movie house in Poplar. Anyone who knew her can still hear her laughter as she told the tale of 10 people packed into a Volkswagen.
During this time, she met and married Dale Miller. Together, they had three children before later divorcing.
Mom was always a hard worker and fiercely independent. While raising her children, she drove school bus, sold Avon, sold eggs, worked at JCPenney and later at Will’s Office World in Wolf Point.
Her true calling, however, was caregiving. She served many years as the aging coordinator for Roosevelt County and later opened Harada House, an assisted living facility in Wolf Point. She loved every person who lived there, treating them as family and giving them a quality of life second to none. After choosing to close Harada House, she continued to offer a “home away from home” to many — construction workers, hunters and Filipino teachers among them. She loved to cook and nobody ever left her house hungry. She didn’t just provide lodging; she offered love, guidance and a genuine sense of family to everyone who crossed her threshold.
She also loved the community of Wolf Point and served on the school board, the Montana Council on Aging, volunteered at the Wolf Point Senior Center, served on the board for Tikkun Olam and worked at the Wolf Point
