Margaret Lee Flora Miller, 100, passed away Thursday, No change needed., to Laura Virginia Garst Flora and Levi Thomas Flora, she spent her early years on the family farm near Troutville, Virginia. The family moved to Roanoke in 1937 into a large extended family of aunts and uncles and first cousins who became her best friends. She graduated from Jefferson High School in 1944 and went to work for her uncles at Garst Bros. Dairy. On August 13, 1949, Margaret Lee married E. J. Miller at Central Church of the Brethren in Roanoke, and they settled in Salem to raise their family.
In addition to her parents, she is preceded in death by her husband, E. J. Miller; her sister and brother-in-law, Lucile Flora Weeks and John Weeks; her brother and sister-in-law, Walter L. Flora and Alice vonSeldeneck Flora; sons-in-law, Terry Murphy and Gary Smith; and daughter-in-law, Betty Johnston Miller.
Margaret Lee was happiest surrounded by family to celebrate holidays and birthdays or simply enjoy homemade tacos or burgers on the grill. She had a gift for friendship, with life-long friends from childhood and circles of friends among the families at the Penguin Club in Salem, the men and their families in E. J.’s WWII army unit who met in reunion every year, and more recently the Archer family and her neighbors in the Villas at Richfield Living.
She is survived by her brother and sister-in-law Willard Flora and Sylvia Montgomery Flora; her children: Cindy Miller (Russ Craighead), Kathy Murphy, Joe Miller (Jackie Archer), and Candy Smith; her grandchildren: Laura Murphy (Mike Lautenschlager), Erin Murphy, Meg Miller (Kai Schnier), Anne Garst Miller (Todd Chalmers), Ryan Murphy (Meghan), and Katie Miller Keyes (Hunter); her step-grandchildren Patrick Smith (Leah, and children Nicholas, Caelan, and Ashlyn) and Greg Smith (Sherry, and children Abby and Gary Wayne); four precious great-grandchildren: Henry, August, Mae, and Cam; and many much-loved nieces and nephews.
The family wishes to thank the caregivers at the Richfield Health Center and Good Samaritan Hospice for their care and support over the past few months. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on August 22, 2026, at Peters Creek Church of the Brethren, with a reception to follow in the Church Fellowship Hall.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Peters Creek Church of the Brethren, 5333 Cove Rd., Roanoke, VA 24019.
Online condolences may be expressed by visiting www.johnmoakey.com.
