Family members and friends of Michele Miller accepted the County Leader of Distinction Award on her behalf at the Ohio Farm Bureau’s 107th Annual Meeting. (Submitted photo)

BY SHERI TRUSTY

Michele Miller was honored posthumously with the Ohio Farm Bureau’s County Leader of Distinction Award. (Submitted photo)

OAK HARBOR – When Michele Miller of Oak Harbor passed away at the age of 63 on Feb. 17, 2025, her death left an unfillable void in her community. Michele’s life was defined by service, and her legacy of benevolence was recognized when she was honored posthumously with the County Leader of Distinction Award at the Ohio Farm Bureau’s 107th Annual Meeting in Columbus on Dec. 12.

Michele’s passion for supporting the agriculture community began when she became a farmwife at the age of 18 on the day she married Ronald Miller a couple of months after graduating from Port Clinton High School in 1979. Michele spent 25 years volunteering for the Ottawa County Farm Bureau, where she advocated for agriculture, committed herself to recruiting members for the Farm Bureau, and served as a mentor for many people.

Michele was one of four people who received the new award, which was created to honor dedicated volunteers at the county level. Information about the award from the Ohio Farm Bureau said that Michele’s “commitment to the agricultural community was unmatched.” She established the annual Legislative Luncheon and created impactful connections between farmers, the community, and legislators.

“She was very committed to promoting agriculture,” said Michele’s daughter-in-law, Samantha Miller. “She spent 25 years as a Farm Bureau member because she felt so strongly about what it stood for.”

Michele’s death will have a strong impact on the advocacy and recruitment efforts of the Ottawa County Farm Bureau. She provided foundational support and committed herself to the work so her husband, son, and other farmers could tend to the work in the fields.

Her son, Sheldon Miller, is the vice president of the Ottawa County Farm Bureau. He said his mother was an extremely hard worker whose dedication helped attract many members to the Ottawa County Farm Bureau.

“She was the secretary and membership chair and the boots-on-the-ground lady,” Sheldon said. “While we were busy farming and working, she made the time to do all the grunt work.”

Michele’s compassion for others was seen in her career at Riverview Industries and OCTA, where she served individuals with developmental disabilities. In all, she served Ottawa County for nearly 35 years, and through it all, her heart was fully dedicated to the Farm Bureau.

The Ohio Farm Bureau is a grassroots membership organization that supports agriculture by providing practical support to farmers and through legislative advocacy at the local, state, and federal level. The Farm Bureau is empowered by a large membership roster, and Michele was committed to recruiting members to help strengthen the organization and to educate farmers on the personal benefits to them.

When Michele died, the Farm Bureau lost a powerful and caring voice.

“It’s hard to keep up the membership. It hard to keep everyone in the loop,” Sheldon said.

Michele was committed to connecting farmers to the Farm Bureau until the very end.

“The day she passed away, she was writing letters to people with lapsed memberships,” Samantha said. “Even with an aching headache, she was writing to draw in members. That’s how important it was to her. We had a stack of letters sitting on the table when she died.”