Savannah, Georgia

Maude Terrell Miles died on September 30, 2006 at Spanish Oaks Retreat. She passed peacefully, in her daughter’s arms, after spending her last hours with her children, beloved caregiver and the spirits of those loved ones who preceded her in death. It was a peaceful and profound experience for all.

Maude was born on June 18, 1910, in Inman SC to the late Maude Jameson and John Grady Terrell. She graduated from the NC College for Women in Greensboro, NC and she began teaching in a one-room schoolhouse in Crossnore, North Carolina and later in the Waynesville, NC elementary school.

She married Erle White Miles in 1934. She had to! He flew his open cockpit airplane upside down until she agreed to his proposal!

Her artistic talents were expressed in so many ways - her talent for flower arrangement led her to become a judge of competitive shows. Her culinary skills led to demand from friends, church events, and party hosts throughout the many cities in which she lived. Her best-known talent was imagination with needle and thread. Her works were one-of-a-kind, having been featured in museums and the homes of collectors and family. Maude loved all holidays, but Christmas was her favorite, and she planned for it all year. Several store owners hired her to decorate their stores. Her homemaking was legendary, and the pages of magazines and newspapers featured some of her unique decorating.

When one lives to age 96, many loved ones have already gone. Hers include Erle Miles, her husband of 70 years, in 2004; John Kivlen, her son-in-law, June of this year, and Margaret Terrell, her adored sister, in 1997.

Maude leaves behind her daughter, Margaret Anne Maggie Kivlen, of Savannah, and her son Erle Miles Jr., of Dalton, Ga. She had several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Memorial service will be held at the Skidaway Island Presbyterian Church, 50 Diamond Causeway, Savannah on Tuesday, October 3, 2006, 2:00PM. Interment will be in Florida.

Remembrances may be made to the Skidaway Island Presbyterian Church,