Frances E. Miner

Emma Verena (Frances E. Miner), 92, went to join The Lord on August 31 after a 15 year battle with Alzheimer's Disease. She passed at her home in Yorba Linda, CA. Fran was born on February 2, 1921 in Monroe, Wisconsin to Fritz and Emma Marty who migrated from Switzerland. She was raised on a dairy farm there along with her five brothers and two sisters. Fritz, Ernest, David, and John Marty have preceded her in death and she is survived by Edwin Paul Marty, San Juan Capistrano, Hilda Barbara Nay, Granada Hills, and Ruth Marie Mansfield, Lake Tahoe along with nine nieces and nephews. Frances also leaves behind her only daughter, Barbara Marie Gianelli, and Son-in-Law, Gregory Michael, Yorba Linda, CA.
Frances attended school three miles from her home where she walked every day, sometimes in snow or rain. There were no buses back in those days, but she knew how important an education was and this never deterred her. She did not speak English until she reached the 6th grade but she was the first in her family to attend college and was accepted to the University of Wisconsin. She was a straight "A" student and wanted to become a surgical nurse. Her family had been impacted severly by the depression and had lost their farm. After attending the university for two years, Frances and her brother Ernest left Wisconsin to come to California for a better opportunity. Once established, the rest of the family followed in their path.
Frances lived in several locations, but during the beginning of World War II she had settled in Los Angeles where she took a position as upstairs maid in the home of a famous Hollywood Director at the time, "Victor Saville". Not long after, she found a position as a waitress at the famous Macdonald's Plantation Restaurant in South Gate CA, where she and her sister Hilda worked for several years. During the war, a handsome brash Army Sargent named Robert George Miner would come in and always sit in her area so she could wait on him. This handsome man from Hoboken, New Jersey fell in love with his precious "Green Eyes" and married her on March 22nd, 1944 at Saint Helen's Catholic Church in South Gate, California. Soon after Bob was deployed to fight in the Pacific Rim and, upon his return, he had a beautiful baby girl waiting for him, Barbara Marie.
Frances continued to work at the Plantation Restaurant for several more years and, after buying a new home in East Whittier, Frances transferred to a new Bullock's store that opened in La Habra in the early 70's and worked at this location until its closing in 1992.
In 1980 Frances lost her wonderful husband Bob to lung cancer after 36 years of marriage and shortly after moved in with her daughter Barbara and her son-in-law Gregory, who lived just around the corner from them in East Whittier. In 1996 Frances moved with Barbara and Greg to a new home in Yorba Linda, East Lake, where she truly enjoyed walking every morning around the lake and being with family. In 1998 Frances began having a problem with her memory and shortly after was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. She led a very productive life for over 10 years going to Easter Seals Day Care 5 days a week where she became a mainstay to the point everyone thought she was actually part of the staff, as she was always helping others in attendance who were worse off than she was and loved to clear the tables and help staff in any way she could. Frances became the national poster girl for Easter Seals Seniors in 2007 and held that title until she had a stroke in 2009 which left her unable to walk.
Over the past four years Frances was very happy and comfortable living in her home and being cared for daily by her daughter and son-in-law. She had had several health issues that caused her to be placed in Hospice Care three different times but, to the doctor's and everyone's amazement, she recovered each time. In December of last year she came down with pneumonia and kidney failure that left her close to death. On January 5th she was discharged from Saint Jude's in Fullerton with 3 to 5 days left to live. She fooled everyone again and managed to have another seven months with her family. Frances died peacefully in her sleep on August 31st with her daughter and son-in-law close by.
Frances dedicated her life to others and members of her family throughout the years taking care of her mother and father until their passing. Frances also helped one brother conquer alcoholism and Bob and Fran took care of him until his death. She was dedicated to her brother Ernest's family after his tragic death and continued, along with her husband Bob, to play a major role in supporting her family during troubling times.
Frances enjoyed life to the fullest during her time here on earth. She truly enjoyed traveling to Europe and took numerous trips to visit family in Switzerland making several transoceanic trips on the Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth. She also enjoyed going back to New York and New Jersey to visit her husband's side of the family and going to visit her brother John and his family on his farm in Wisconsin. Frances stayed in touch with all her relatives in Switzerland until she couldn't communicate any longer. Her daughter Barbara however took up the duty and continues to be very close to her cousins in Switzerland.
She was such a wonderful, sweet and giving person and will be dearly missed by all of her loved ones. Arrangements are under the direction of Forest Lawn, Covina Hills, Covina, California.