Born 29 Apr 1914 in Arnprior, Renfrew, Ontario

Ancestors

Wife of John Russell Miller — married 18 Dec 1942 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Died 14 Jan 2002 at age 87 in Lachine, Quebec, Canada

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Pat Miller [send private message]

Biography

Evelyn Stielow was born in Arnprior, Ontario, a small city near Ottawa. Her parents were Charles Stielow, a worker at Kenwood Mills, and Mary Loock, who worked for the Arnprior Chronicle newspaper. Evelyn was an only child. The small family lived with Mary's father, Albert Loock, in his house in Arnprior.

Charles Stielow, wife Mary Loock and daughter, Evelyn

Evelyn became a teacher for the Ontario Department of Education in Killaloe, Renfrew County, which helped pay for her further education at Queens University. She graduated in 1940, the first person in her family with a University education.

Graduation from Queen's University

In 1942 she married John Russell Miller after a two-year courtship. They didn't have a church wedding. Funds were scarce and it was war time. Evelyn and John married in the registrar's office and they had no time for a honeymoon until two years later in 1944. Throughout their long marriage they lived in various places, including Gander, Newfoundland, as John was a meteorologist with Environment Canada and was stationed where needed. In 1949 he was transferred to Montreal, where the couple lived until their deaths.

Belated Honeymoon in 1944

Later in her life Evelyn or "Evie" as John called her, loved to sew clothes for herself and her daughter, experimented with low calorie recipes( her dream had been to be a dietitian), tended to her beloved cat and enjoyed a good cup of tea in proper English china. Evelyn was a thoughtful, gentle woman. She died at nearly 88 in 2002.

Evelyn's Husband Amateur Photographer captures family life

Family photos in Black & White taken by Evelyn's husband John Miller located on Free Space profile with comments. Click on 1. [[1]]

Evelyn's Hobby of Sewing

Evelyn had many ancestors who excelled at fashioning garments and working with cloth. Her great grandfather Gottfried Loock was a Master Tailor in Germany, as was his father before him and a son Julius Loock. Another son Albert, Evelyn's grandfather, emigrated to Canada and married August (Streich) Loock who created this tablecloth.

Augusta's Tablecloth

Their daughter Mary Loock married Charles Stielow. While Charles was not in the tailoring business, two of his brothers became tailors, August Stielow in Grays Harbor, Washington, United States and Fred Stielow in Arnprior, Ontario. Evelyn always had an interest in sewing.

When Evelyn and her husband John Miller settled in Montreal John purchased a new sewing machine. It was a Singer Centennial Portable Featherweight Machine, issue 1951 with a decorated silver front panel. Evelyn loved this sewing machine.

Singer Centennial Portable Featherweight Sewing Machine

She produced baby clothes for her daughter using her new Singer Sewing Machine, then doll clothes for favorite dolls. One outfit has survived the inevitable routine of discarding or donating unneeded items. This was a play outfit Evelyn made in 1958 for a doll purchased in New York City at Macy's Department Store.

Baby Doll Outfit 1958

However, Evelyn was working as a substitute teacher and had less time for her hobby. Another problem was that sewing conflicted with her beloved pastime of shopping. Evelyn would take her daughter Pat, then called Patsy, from store to store, searching for new outfits for both of them, a pastime Patsy enjoyed as much for spending time with mother as looking at clothes. When John drove mother and daughter he would remain in the car, reading, or listening to Classical music. John hated shopping. In and out, get what you need, no browsing was the way he shopped. Sometimes John wasn't available for rides and yet the urge to shop was there. Evelyn and Patsy took the bus.

Evelyn & Pat

Purchased outfits for Evelyn and Patsy even included sleepwear. When in the city Patsy noticed her mother took her into fabric stores to examine material and flip through pattern packages. Patsy didn't understand her mother had plans to resume her sewing hobby.

It happened, as much happened in North America, when the Beatles arrived in 1964. The popular singing group ushered in many new fashions. Evelyn's sewing machine frequently appeared on the kitchen table and the family now ate in the dining room to avoid disturbing work in progress. Evelyn made clothes for herself but then tried out some mod fashions for her daughter, now calling herself Patti, who was constantly going out in faded jeans and baggy sweaters. The first attempt recalled by Patti was an orange and white pin striped pant suit. Patti wore it once, was laughed at by her friends and never wore it again. There was a second attempt, for Evelyn, quite different from some women her age, was intrigued by the new styles. She created a baby doll style dress to be worn with white stockings. Patti loved it and all her friends loved it.

The list of Evelyn created fashions for Patti was long and produced much happiness for mother and daughter. When her daughter appeared at a local dancehall in 1966 in abstract art patterned bellbottoms she had several boys interested, one even offering to buy the pants. Not many of these garments have survived the passage of time. When Patti, suddenly decided her name was Pat, more fashion followed. Much loved was the box pleated mini skirt and matching buttonless jacket that was worn with a tam and copied the style of fashions in the movie "Bonnie and Clyde" which Pat had seen with a boyfriend and covered her face for the violent ending.

Pantsuit and shawl 1969

Evelyn's second attempt at a pant suit was so loved by her daughter she wore it in 1969 and later in 1970 to see the rock musical "Hair" playing in Toronto. John, trying to play fashion photographer, photographed some of Evelyn's creations. This was a silky snake print pants and top with matching fringed shawl in a golden hue. It was wonderfully comfortable.

Jacket made for Pat by Evelyn 1969

This jacket made in 1969 by Evelyn survived to present day with some minor damage but the other one, the emerald green velvet jacket, the twin of this one, did not survive. Pat wore so often, she wore it out.

A Blouse For Evelyn 1980

Evelyn was more interested in creating fashions for her daughter but occasionally made something for herself, often as a result of not finding what she wanted to wear. She made this blouse around 1980 and some years later gave it to Pat.

Evelyn's final sewing project done as an elderly woman was a "barbecue apron" for Pat, despite the fact that Pat didn't own a barbecue. It's for barbecuing, Dear. Pat used it for baking instead. Pat didn't realize how much Evelyn's hobby affected her life and memories until just recently.

Sources

• 1921 Census of Canada, Arnprior, Renfrew South, Alicia Street, Albert Loach (Loock) 63, labour, lumber yard, Annie (Loock) 24, dau, tailoress, Charles (Loock), 20, son, labourer, Charles Strelaw (Stielow) 32, sawyer, son-in-law, Mary (Stielow) 32, dau, EVELYN (STIELOW) 7, granddaughter
• Canada, Voters Lists 1940 Renfrew South, Miss Evelyn Stielow, student
• Canada, Voters Lists, 1935-1980, Montreal, 1968, Evelyn Miller, sub-teacher, living with John R. Miller, meteorologist
• Added to Ancestry by her daughter, Patricia Miller:
• CERTIFICATE OF MARRIAGE, This is to Certify that, on the eighteenth day of December A.D. 1942, at Toronto in the Province of Ontario, I solemnized the Marriage of John Russell Miller and Evelyn Alberta Stielow under Marriage License No. L 63898 issued on the twelfth day of December A.D. 1942, Gordon Domm, Toronto, United Church
• Valentine Day Proposal (story)
• Death of Mary Chistine Loock, 1888-1936 and Evelyn Alberta Stielow 1914-2002, her daughter (story, first published in The Gazette (Montreal) October 18,2004

Obituary

MILLER, Evelyn (nee Stielow). Peacefully at Lachine Hospital on January 14, 2002, in her eighty-eighth year. Survived by her devoted daughter Patricia and her niece Gloria, of Florida. Will be missed by her adopted family, Yasmin and Mohamed Jaffer, daughters Sophia and Sayeda. Many thanks to the 4th floor staff of the Lachine Hospital and the leisure department of Camille-Lefebvre. Mom was courageous, generous, a sweet graceful lady, who will be reunited with her beloved husband of fifty-one years, John Russell Miller, deceased in 1994. (The Montreal Gazette Tuesday January 15, 2002)

Parenting by Evelyn

When I was about ten, forbidden to go some place with my friends, I kicked up a fuss by crying and moving about the house, throwing things on the floor, being a classic brat. Dad was yelling and threatening to spank me. He never had done it before but to be on the safe side I hid under a bed. Mom said sharply: "John, go for a walk." I heard the door slam. She sat on the bed and said nothing so I crawled out. She told me to sit beside her.

"This place your friends are going to...", Mom began. I interrupted her and began petitioning again when all my previous pleading had resulted in a refusal. She interrupted me. "Where's the best place we've taken you?" My mind was flooded with images. Mom and Dad had that in common. Our house featured hand-me-down sofas, chairs, beds. They used the savings to go places and see things. Finally I blurted out that the dinosaurs in the New York museum were amazing. "This place your friends are going to, will it be better than that?"

"Of course not," I said, too quickly. Her smile was of someone who knew victory was in sight. She listed places we had visited, one by one, forcing me to say over and over again, no, it's not better. "Apple picking in the orchard?" "No, it's not better."

"Then why are you so upset?" she asked. I mumbled that I didn't know. Mom laughed. "If you don't know, it's not as important as you're pretending."

Thoroughly subdued I left her to pick up all the things I had thrown on the floor. What I didn't realize at age ten was she had changed my perception of missed opportunities. The more opportunities created the less you mind missing some. As I grew older I was more and more grateful for the traveling, big trips and little trips. Enrichment.

Evelyn & Pat

(This memory "Parenting By Evelyn" was written by her daughter Patricia Miller April 29, 2021, edited September 29, 2021)