Dorothy Miles

Dorothy Carleen Musser Wilson Miles passed away Thursday, December 24, 2015 in Layton, Utah She was born on November 27, 1928, in Fabius Township, St. Joseph County, Michigan. She was the sixth child of Arthur Roy Musser and Verna Mae Weston. She was born on the family farm in a house that her father built and where she spent a happy childhood along with her five brothers and two sisters. One baby sister preceded her in death.

She met and married John Wilson on April 20, 1947, in Three Rivers, Michigan. Of this marriage Dorothy was blessed with three sons and one daughter, all of whom survive: Jeffrey Allen Wilson (Cathy) of North Richland Hills, Texas; Thomas Arthur Wilson (Lindsey) of Houston, Texas; Gregory John Wilson (Brandy) of Magnolia, Texas; and Diane Gail Wilson Flanagan (Paul) of Layton, Utah.

Dorothy met and married her second husband, Leo William Miles, on June 7, 1969, in Shreveport, Louisiana, with whom she shared 36 years before his death on December 19, 2005. Leo brought into their marriage three children from a previous marriage, and together they made a home for all seven children. Also surviving Dorothy are two step-daughters and one step-son; Laurie Sue Miles Helms (Kenny), Linda Marie Miles Salts, both of Shreveport, Louisiana; and Leo William Miles Jr., (Kesy) of Houston, Texas.

Dorothy loved being a mother and considered her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren her greatest blessings here on earth. She leaves thirteen grandchildren to cherish her memory as Grandma, Granny, and Mamaw: Rebel Wilson of Jacksonville, Florida; Katie Bridges Anderson (Bart) of Morton Grove, Illinois; Dillon and Kona Wilson of Magnolia, Texas; Erica Thrall Jennings (Brandon) of Plano, Texas; Jacob Salts (Wendy) of Bossier City, Louisiana; Brent Thrall, Brandon Miles, Jackie Salts Carey and Jade Salts, all of Shreveport, Louisiana; Brian Miles (Amy) of Bossier City, Louisiana; Cody Miles of Houston, Texas; and Katlyn Miles of Atlanta, Texas. She is also survived by three step-granddaughters; Brooke Elam, her son Parker, and Ryan (Ashley) Elam of North Richland Hills, Texas; and Misty Lothringer (Jeff) and her children, Taylor and McKenzie Denehey and Trevor Lothringer of Cedar Park, Texas; and seven great-grandchildren: Miles and Arthur Anderson of Morton Grove, Illinois; Tyler Carey and Riley Salts of Shreveport, Louisiana; Julia and Joseph Miles of Bossier City, Louisiana; and Isabella Miles of Atlanta, Texas.

Dorothy had a great love for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints of which she has been a member since 1952, having joined while living in Chandler, Arizona. She always looked on the members of the Church as her “second” family. She enjoyed searching out and putting together her family genealogy and doing the temple work for many of her ancestors.

Besides her parents, Dorothy was preceded in death by her five brothers; LeRoy Efton Musser of Portage, Michigan; Raymond Dale Musser of Bedford, Virginia; Alvin Gene Musser of Bainbridge, Georgia; Kenneth Lee Musser of Three Rivers, Michigan; Carl Homuth Musser of Marion, Ohio; and two sisters, Lucile Maxine Root of Niles, Michigan, and Lillian Marguerite Musser (who died in infancy). Besides her children and grandchildren she is survived by one sister, Janet Marion Sexton of Connersville, Indiana; three sisters-in-law, Joyce Musser Sidwell of Harrisonburg, Virginia; Nancy Musser of Bainbridge, Georgia; Virginia Miles of Monroe, Louisiana, along with several nieces and nephews.

The family would like to express deep gratitude for the care and love given by Wes Hansen, Marcia Parisi, Summer Crouch and all of the staff at Fairfield Village Independent Living, Layton, Utah, and a special thank you to Julie Colvin, her hospice nurse, who cared for her so compassionately.

Funeral services will be held at the Shreveport First Ward LDS Chapel located at 200 Carroll Street, Shreveport, Louisiana on Saturday, January 2, 2015 at 10 a.m. The family will receive friends from 4 to 6 p.m. Friday afternoon at Kilpatrick’s Rose-Neath Funeral Home, 1815 Marshall Street, Shreveport, Louisiana. Interment, Forrest Park Cemetery, Shreveport, Louisiana.