Linda Lou Miller, 89, of Urbana, IL, passed away peacefully on Aug. 7, 2026, surrounded by her loving children.
She was born Aug. 12, 1936, in Kokomo, Ind., to Ancel J. and Dorothy May (Clingenpeel) Walker. She was the sixth of nine children.
Linda’s devoted husband of 64 years, Frederick Gene Miller, predeceased her in 2022. Surviving Linda are her children Doug (Belinda) Miller of Strasburg, VA, Deanna (Kirwin) Stewart of Holdrege, NE, and Melinda (Karen Jannusch) Miller of Champaign; her sisters Barbara Ann (Charlie) Maple of Kokomo, IN, Carolyn Sue (Jack) Devine of Valparaiso, IN, and Pamela Kay (Roger) Mayes of Idaho Falls, ID; and four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. She was also preceded in death by siblings Herbert Lee, Billy Joe, Bonita Jane “Bonnie,” Donna Marie, and James.
Linda was a proud Hoosier and graduated from Kokomo High School and Ball State University (then Teachers College) with a bachelor’s in elementary education, and later earned a master’s degree in elementary education from there.
She married her high school sweetheart, Gene, on June 15, 1958. They started married life in San Antonio, Texas, and Minot, N.D., while Gene served in the U.S. Air Force. They later settled in Kokomo, Ind., and Muncie, Ind., and finally in Macomb, when Gene became a professor at Western Illinois University.
Although she trained as a teacher, Linda’s true passion was using her hands to create beautiful artwork, needlework, and handmade crafts. In the early 1970s, she was introduced to decorative painting and quickly became interested in mastering the style. She studied for two weeks every summer for 11 years with renowned decorative artist Jo Sonja Jansen in Northern California. And she quickly began teaching others—first in her home basement, then by creating the business The House of Tole on East Jackson Street in Macomb, and later Everything Nice in downtown Macomb. With each new location, her enterprise grew: she taught painting and quilting and eventually sold painting supplies, fabric, notions, household decorations, unique gift items, and, of course, Linda’s painted items and fabric creations.
As a business owner, Linda contributed to the community by serving as president of the Macomb Downtown Development Corporation. She received an award from the Macomb Beautiful Association for improving the vacant Montgomery Ward department store building and turning it into a beautiful retail space for Everything Nice.
Linda closed Everything Nice in 1996, and after Gene’s retirement, they enjoyed traveling and spending time with family. Linda never stopped creating in her home studio.
A lifelong Presbyterian, Linda served as an elder and moderator of the Presbytery of Great Rivers and was active in Presbyterian Women. She became particularly vocal in social justice issues through her church and helped found Genesis Garden, among other endeavors.
She loved to share her baking, handmade crafts, artwork, and garden produce, and to spoil Gene and their many cats.
A Memorial service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, August 22, 2026 at the First Presbyterian Church in Macomb with Pastor Cheyanna Losey officiating. Visitation will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, August 21, 2026 at Clugston-Tibbitts Funeral Home in Macomb. Burial of ashes will be held in Oakwood Cemetery in Macomb along with her husband’s ashes where full military rites will be conducted by the Macomb American Legion and Macomb VFW.
Donations may be made in Linda’s honor to the Parkinson’s Foundation and the Western Illinois Museum.
You may leave condolences and sign the guest book online at clugston-tibbitts.com.
