In Calhoun County, South Carolina, Elouise Miller was born Elouise McPherson on April 30,1920, one of 13 children. Woodrow Wilson was president of the United States at the time.
Elouise was born of the union between Ben McPherson and Rebecca Darby at a time when having many children meant more hands to tend to sharecropping the land.
Elouise recalls walking miles to attend a one-room schoolhouse which she thoroughly enjoyed, even though it was overcrowded. Like many of her contemporaries vying to escape the harsh realities of life in the south, she migrated up north with her sisters, Frizella, Willie Mae, and Anna Julia, eventually landing in Harlem, New York, where she met and married Walter Miller.
Elouise worked tirelessly as a domestic worker for individual families and in department stores to meet the needs of her family of seven children. Although she was never able to obtain more than an 8th grade education, she was an avid educator of her children, always stressing the importance of education and placing high expectations on them. This resulted in two medical doctors, two PhDs, and an award-winning pianist known as the Harlem Maestro along with entrepreneurs and social worker/therapists.
When Elouise is asked what she attributes her longevity to she says eating apples and hard work. And more than anything else, she says, having seven children and relationships with her grandchildren and great grandchildren give her continued purpose. Their daily engagement with her keeps her sharp, focused, and determined to stay strong.
Happy Birthday Mrs. Elouise Miller!