Bette J. Miller Memorial St. Joseph Educational Fund
and the
Bette J. Miller Memorial Community Enrichment Fund
Bette J. Miller was an inspiration to many. She inspired, encouraged, motivated, taught, trained, educated, volunteered, loved, listened and prayed. It was common for her to do all of these things in the same day as leading a class or resuscitating a cardiac victim. Bette was a wife, mother, rescuer, teacher, and friend…always.
A member of the St. Mary’s of the Assumption Catholic Church, Bette attended St. Jude Grade School, Central Catholic High School, St. Joseph Hospital School of Nursing, St. Louis University and St. Francis University. Bette held impressive professional leadership positions. She taught at St. Vincent de Paul School of Nursing in St. Louis, MO, Decatur Catholic High School, and St. Joseph Grade School. She was chief nurse of the Fort Wayne Regional Blood Center, Adams County Emergency Medical Service (EMS), taught the Emergency Medical Technical and Paramedic course, cardiopulmonary resuscitation and Advanced Cardiac Life Support classes and served as Director of the Adams County EMS.
Bette put extraordinary effort into every task. She was a reliable and dedicated volunteer…and she was involved in many organizations: American Heart Association, American Cancer Society, St. Vincent DePaul, St. Joseph School, St. Mary’s Church, Adams Memorial Hospital, and the Adams County Community Foundation (ACCF). Within the ACCF, Bette was a wonder! She served on the ACCF Board of Directors (holding an officer’s position), the ACCF Angel - Cancer Committee, ACCF Grants Committee, ACCF Troop and a Tour Committee, and ACCF Scholarship Committee. She is dearly missed by all who worked with her.
Bette was described as the Mother of CPR in Adams County. She relentlessly trained and re-trained thousands of Adams County residents in the life-saving technique. She encouraged as many medics as possible to become CPR instructors saying, “It is our duty to help give back to the community (teaching others) since the community had been supportive of EMS." Bette was considered a leader in northeast Indiana in the American Heart Association for her efforts to teach cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). She became the director of education for the hospital, a position she held dearly because of her interest in EMS. The year after Bette Miller retired from EMS, the EMS service was honored by being named Paramedic Provider of the Year. It seemed only appropriate that Bette Miller accepted this award on behalf of the EMS department of the hospital. Bette did her job not for the public recognition that occasionally came with it but for the satisfaction of helping others.
A devoted wife with two active boys (John and Stephen), she was involved with her church and school; however, Bette kept busy and always had her priorities straight: faith and family first. Bette’s willingness to contribute, educate, support this community, and sustain life continues. In loving memory, her husband, Clete, has set up two new funds in the Adams County Community Foundation:
The Bette J. Miller Memorial Community Enrichment Fund and the Bette J. Miller Memorial St. Joseph Educational Fund
At the grave site, over the EMS radio, the following words were spoken:
This is the final dispatch for paramedic Bette Miller. Bette, former EMS Director and paramedic instructor for Adams
County, has fulfilled her duty to serve the community and has returned to the station for the final time.
Bette continues to be an inspiration and is dearly missed.