An Extraordinary Life: Joliet woman believed in the goodness of people – and stood up for their rights.

Rita Miller was just 18 or 19 when she picketed a diner for the first time – and the owner was her uncle.

“He allowed blacks to eat there,” Rita’s daughter Erica Santella of Florida said. “But they had to come in through the back door. She didn’t do it out of meanness or spite. She just wanted to move things forward.”

Eric said people asked her, “You’re picketing your own family member’s pace?” And Rita would say, “Well, yes.”

“And it did not seem strange to her do that,” Erica said.

Rita not only believed in equal rights, she believed in the value of a good education, communication and even recycling.

Born in Springfield to a family that “moved around a lot” and lived in dilapidated “close quarters,” Rita grew up knowing both love and hard work, Erica said.

Her parents Andrew and Grace Kraus were hardworking owners of Kraus Bakery, so they often rose early in the morning to make the doughnuts and Rita spent part of her childhood working in the family business, Erica said.

But Rita always told that story in the most matter-of-fact way, stressing that she always had a roof over head, enough food to eat and all the bakery items she wanted, Erica said.

Because Rita liked both helping people and math (if her checkbook was off by 2 cents, Rita kept looking for the error until she found and corrected it, Erica said), she majored in both at the former Illinois State Teachers College, now Illinois State University, Erica said.

At college, Rita met her best friend Edith. And through Edith, Rita met Charles, “the love of her life,” Erica said. Charles had a “Romeo” reputation on campus. But he knew Rita was the woman for him when he saw Rita and his sister Edith picking up pop bottles behind the bleachers to recycle.

“She knew the value of homey and work,” Erica said. “That was his kind of gal.”

As for Rita, she loved Charles’ mind, Erica said. Rita and Charles both loved to read and go to museums. The fact he was handsome, too, added to his attractiveness, Erica added.

“Rita said, ‘Where will I find another man like this?’” Erica said.

The couple decided to elope in a different state without telling anyone, and Charles was late for his own wedding because he lived in a different time zone and forgot to account for the difference, Erica said.

“They didn’t even have rings,” Erica said. “But Rita always said, ' You didn’t need a ring. You had your vows.’”

Afterward, Rita and Charles went to their respective homes because they couldn’t afford to live on their own, Erica said. Eventually, their parents found out and insisted they get married in a church. But Rita and Charles always celebrated the day they eloped as the official wedding anniversary, Erica said.

They participated in human right causes together, read books together and enjoyed fall color in Brown County Indiana, Erica said.

Rita also participated in the Will County Historical Society by weaving for people on her large loom at events. Eventually, Rita donated her loom to a local weavers club, Erica said.

Rita and Charles had four children. In addition to Eric, they are Ann Paulsen of California, Karl Miller of France and James Miller of Lemont.

Erica said their parents influenced all four of their children with their acceptance. Meaning, Rita and Charles let the children be themselves. Neither parent tried to persuade their children to pursue such and such career or show disapproval of a potential spouse, Erica said.

“If there was love, that was good enough,” Erica said.

Rita didn’t teach when her children were growing since she couldn’t afford childcare for four children, Erica said. But since they were living on the south side of Chicago at the time, Rita became involved in civil rights marches (Rita’s children went with her, Erica said) and received a grant to open a tutoring center.

Rita even taught “grown men in our neighborhood” and “took us kids to rallies and block parties,” Erica said.

“She loved to help people make the best of themselves,” Erica said.

Even if a person made poor decisions, Rita always saw the good inside in them and believed people were basically good, no matter what, Erica said.

Rita also joined an interfaith organization because Rita felt understanding people’s beliefs was part of understanding them, Erica said. She had “a good moral compass,” Erica added.

The Millers oved to Joliet in 1974 when Charles, who worked for Peoples Gas Light and Coke Company, was transferred from Chicago to Joliet. Rita volunteered with the Joliet Public Library’s “Friends” group, wrote Letters to the Editor to The Herald-News and became a staunch recycler, Erica said.

“Her reasoning was not only that it was the right thing to do, but that it would cost taxpayers money as garbage had to be hauled further away,” Erica wrote in an email. “Woe be the person who put a newspaper in the wrong collection container.”

Charles’ sister Edith  developed multiple sclerosis, so Rita, who had good penmanship, and often wrote Edith letters, especially after learning Edith depended on those letters to brighten her day, Erica said.

Eventually, Charles developed rheumatoid arthritis and Rita became his caretaker until he died in 1996.

Rita’s obituary said she loved, music, theater, learning new skills, online solitaire (Rita taught herself how to use the computer, who said), jigsaw and crossword puzzles, walking, bicycling, bird watching, libraries, parks, and forest preserves.

Erica, who attended the Joliet Public Library’s book club with Rita this past year when it went virtual, said Rita loved discovering books she might never have read and then listening to the opinions of the other readers.

“It did not matter one bit if Rita liked or disliked a book or if others did,” Erica wrote. “In fact, she may have enjoyed being the lone wolf sometimes and hearing what others had to say…Rita always got something out of it.”

Rita had a checking-in system with the other women in their neighborhood to ensure their safety. Even at 94, Rita remained strong and independent, and if anyone tried to take the packages from her hands, she would say, “If I need help, I will ask,” Erica said.

She wished for a quick and painless death and received it. Rita was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer on Dec. 19 and died on Jan. 11, “hope fulfilled,” Erica said.

“Her last words to me were, ‘Don’t cancel the newspapers,’” Erica said. “‘I might feel better.’”

• To feature someone in “An Extraordinary Life,” contact Denise M. Baran-Unland at 815-280-4122 or dunland@shawmedia.com.