From the NY Times:The death of 76-year-old Elsie Janet Miller has inspired a time of strange reflection for many in Ozone Park, Queens, where for decades this mysterious resident of a locally famous house was something of a beloved outcast.
A former city schoolteacher, Ms. Miller bought her house in 1971, and over the years covered it with religious insignia and coats of silver, gold, red and blue paint. She walked everywhere, often trailing a blue shopping cart and (some say) a blue dog. Occasionally, she passed out biblical reading material and preached about damnation.
After about a week’s worth of mail had accumulated around her door, the letter carrier notified the police, who on Jan. 23 entered the house and found Ms. Miller’s body in her bed. She was pronounced dead of natural causes at 3:40 p.m., and her body was taken to the Queens medical examiner’s office. If it remains unclaimed by family or friends in the next two weeks and no money is found in her estate, Ms. Miller will be buried anonymously in the city’s potter’s field on Hart Island in the Bronx.
7 comments:
A deceased former city schoolteacher with a house worth around half a million, even in today's market, will be buried in an annonymous grave in Potter's Field? And the city is OK with this?
Shame on the city, Bloomberg, local politicians, any surviving family members, and her neighbors for allowing this to happen. A special Fuck you goes out to the Board of Education for allowing this to happen to one of their own.
This woman is already in her special place in Heaven now, next to the God she obviously loved so much in this life. To those groups and individuals previously mentioned, there is a special place in hell waiting for you.
this is such a disgrace...Potters field??How embarassing,for this city,the neighbors...how can people let something like this happen??what about her home??who gets that??this story should be on the news...shame,shame,shame...i really hope that this will not happen&everyone gets involved to see that it does not end like this for a woman who taught many children&worked hard...
Publish an address where we can all send donations so that this does not happen.
The woman deserves a plot on consecrated ground, a stone, and some prayers said.
why didn't she plan her own estate? where is her will, who is her executor? why are you blaming the boe?
Doesn't she have friends or family to bury her?
By the way, the UFT pension plan includes a small death benefit. Someone in the family should check into this.
Please be aware that Elsie Janet Miller, age 76, will be WAKED at the James Romanelli-Stephen Funeral Home at 89-01 Rockaway Blvd. in Ozone Park on Monday, Feb. 23rd, 2009 from 2-5 p.m and from 7-9 p.m.. Her burial will be Tuesday at 11 a.m. at St. John's Cemetery here in Queens. For further information please call the funeral home at (718) 845-5151. As I have have the warm privilege of knowing this devout lady for approx. 20 years then I will be visiting her there. In many respects she was much like my late mother who would always wheel her shopping cart into church just like Elsie Miller often did. May she rest in peace.
Fr. Steve Tyminski +
Ozone Park, NY
nycpadre@yahoo.com
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