Ellen Nuzella Null-Miller

Ellen Null-Miller (Nuzella Null) passed away January 30th, 2023 in Mansfield, TX after a brief illness. She was 86 years old. She was preceded in death by her husband of 61 years, Michael Null-Miller in 2019. Ellen was born on November 14th, 1936 in Wellington Texas to parents Lois and Leroy Null. Her childhood and teenage years were spent primarily in Tulsa and Wagoner Oklahoma and summers on her grandparents, Maud and Ira Self's, farm in Wellington. Throughout her life she reminisced about her days on the farm playing with cousins, riding horses and singing at church events. Ellen graduated in 1954 from Chickasha high school and enrolled at Oklahoma State University, majoring in Speech and Drama. She completed a Bachelor's Degree a semester early, using some summer courses from the Oklahoma College for Women in Chickasha. Ellen treasured her time in college, made several life-long girlfriends, and truly enjoyed learning. She cherished those connections, which included Molly, Karen, Carolyn, Joy, NonEarl, and Kay, particularly later in her life, and she traveled to meet up with them at OSU home football games for several years. During her first semester at OSU she met Michael Miller, and they married in October 1958. She and Michael had a son, Russell, in January 1960 and lived in England for three years while Michael was in the Naval Reserves and performing civil engineering work supporting an airfield in the countryside. It was during these years that Ellen developed a love for English Literature, which became her professional focus when they returned to the States. They then lived in Boston Massachusetts for seven years, where Ellen earned a Master's degree in English Literature from Simmons College and they had a daughter, Jennifer, in May 1967. In June 1971, Ellen and Michael moved to Oklahoma City to be closer to their families, and Ellen pursued a PhD at University of Oklahoma in literature. She taught English at Bishop McGuiness High School and enjoyed helping students enrich their lives through reading and communicating their ideas through writing. While in Oklahoma she became an active member of the National Organization for Women and she and Michael spent their lives advocating for equality for women. In 1994 she moved to Arlington Texas and continued to teach English at Duncanville high school and Tarrant County College. After she retired she became an avid quilter with multiple clubs in the area, and enjoyed attending their events with her close friend Elizabeth Carr. Ellen loved music. She often sang in the house and found singing a source of happy memories. She loved crosswords and scrabble and solving cryptoquotes. She was feisty, funny and sentimental. She loved to laugh and enjoyed hearing humorous stories from her children. She was a devoted daughter and big sister to her brother Bob, and stayed very connected to her family. She was a loving mother who always expressed pride in her children. She was a doting grandmother who spent many hours cheering at events, clapping at recitals, and was always eager to know what was happening in her grandchildren's lives. She was enjoying living near her first great grandchild and was happy watching her open presents at Christmas. Ellen was preceded in death by her parents Lois and Leroy Null of Chickasha, OK, and by one grandson, Justin Ladetto. She is survived by her brother Bob Null and his wife Patty of Van Buren AR; her son Russell Miller and his wife Lynne of Mansfield, TX, and their children: David Ladetto, his wife Siobhaun, and their daughter Aubrey; Andrew Miller; Nicholas Pushee and his partner Ashlynne; and her daughter Jennifer Miller and her husband Jon Tichota of Skokie, IL, and their children: Juliana and Lukas. She is also survived by many nieces and nephews and numerous cousins. Ellen was a Type 1 diabetic for over 50 years. Great strides in the understanding and treatment of diabetes helped Ellen manage her disease and her family admired her strength and resilience. She also benefited from her mother having been a certified professional school dietitian in Oklahoma, and used her understanding of food to avoid many common complications of diabetes. She was a great believer in voting for all elections and encouraged everyone to exercise this important right. Her love of reading lasted her entire life and she was always involved in a book. She encouraged her children to read whatever they were interested in, and the homes she raised them in were always full of books and magazines. Her children ask that in lieu of flowers donations be made to the American Diabetes Association, the League of Women Voters, or the library of your choice, in memory of Ellen.

Ellen Nuzella Null-Miller

November 14, 1936 - January 30, 2023