Bakery owner was devoted to Issaquah

Marge Miller's legacy in Issaquah is impossible to ignore.

For one thing, there's the landmark building, St. George's Square at Gilman Village, built in 1984 by Mrs. Miller and her husband, George, to house their bakery business. The brick, European-style building with its cobblestone courtyard is a product of Mrs. Miller's fascination with European decorating, according to daughter Mollie Watters, of Issaquah.

The building now is occupied by offices but remains one of the most recognizable structures in Issaquah.

Perhaps less tangible but no less important was the influence Mrs. Miller had in making Issaquah what it is today.

Mrs. Miller, who died of pneumonia June 30, the day before her 80th birthday, was continually active in Issaquah community affairs, serving on the board of the Chamber of Commerce and the city Design Commission, her daughter said.

She is considered to be largely responsible for the tree-lined streets and landscaping along Gilman Boulevard, the old highway through Issaquah that was replaced by Interstate 90, said her daughter.

"She was a strong advocate for that," said Issaquah Mayor Ava Frisinger. "She worked with the city to make that a signature street."

Mrs. Miller believed growth did not need to jeopardize a small town's character.

"It's difficult to hide from growth," she said in a 1986 Seattle Times article about the future of Issaquah. "If someone owns property, they're not going to go away. I don't think we're losing anything. No matter how slick and sophisticated the buildings are, we'll keep our small-town flavor."

When a school levy failed in the 1970s, Mrs. Miller started a fundraising campaign called "Dollars for Schools" and raised more than $30,000. In 1980, she was one of first business proprietors in the state to ban smoking at her business, Watters said.

Mrs. Miller also was active in the Miss Issaquah and Miss Washington scholarship pageants and served as chairwoman of the United Way campaign.

Marge Barnes was born to Wilson and Mary Barnes in Seattle on July 1, 1928. She grew up in Ballard and on Capitol Hill, Watters said.

She attended Holy Names Academy in Seattle, and during and after high school worked in the highly sought position of elevator girl at Frederick & Nelson.

"That was the job to have back then," said Watters of the role that became part of Seattle lore before the department store closed in 1992.

She also modeled hats at the Rhodes department store, and, with her sisters, did radio yodeling acts on KOL, added Watters.

In 1947, Marge Barnes met George Miller, the "love of her life," Watters said. The couple married Nov. 20, 1947, eventually becoming the parents of seven children.

When the family moved to Issaquah, and the Millers ran a bakery, Georgie Porgie's Goodie Factory, Mrs. Miller's "wild sense of humor" contributed a lot to the venture's success, Watters said.

In 1976, the Millers opened a tea room and another bakery at Gilman Village, a development of restored buildings in Issaquah. They renamed the business the Puget Sound Baking Co.

The business eventually expanded to the point where it was supplying QFC with breads for 60 stores, and in 1995 it moved to a 10,000 square-foot facility in Redmond. The business closed when the Millers retired in 2004.

For the past several years, the Millers lived in Seattle.

Mrs. Miller is survived by her husband, George Miller Jr., of Seattle, and their seven children: Mollie Watters, of Issaquah; Cece Fultz, of Kirkland; Susan Holberg, of Issaquah; Melinda Sanelli, of Issaquah; Bridget Asheim, of Covington, Jessica Crites, of Bellevue; and George Miller III, of Renton. She is also survived by a sister, Patricia Brown, and a brother, Wilson Barnes, both of Seattle, plus 26 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

The funeral was private. A public memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. July 24 at Seattle's Holy Rosary Catholic Church, 4139 42nd Ave. S.W.

Remembrances are suggested to Catholic Community Services of Western Washington, 100 23rd Ave. S., Seattle, WA 98144-2302.

Peyton Whitely: 206-464-2259 or pwhitely@seattletimes.com