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{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2021}} |
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2021}} |
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{{Infobox person |
{{Infobox person |
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| name = Ann Russell Miller |
| name = Ann Russell Miller |
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| birth_name = Mary Ann Russell |
| birth_name = Mary Ann Russell |
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| birth_date = {{birth date|1928|10|30}} |
| birth_date = {{birth date|1928|10|30}} |
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| birth_place = [[San Francisco]], California, US<ref>{{cite news |title=Sister Mary Joseph of the Trinity, socialite who left her old life behind and took holy orders – obituary |work=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]] |publisher=Telegraph Media Group Limited |date=12 June 2021 |issn=0307-1235 |location=London (UK)|id={{ProQuest|2540280641}}}}</ref> |
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| birth_place = [[San Francisco]], California, US |
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| death_date = {{death date and age|2021|06|05|1928|10|30}} |
| death_date = {{death date and age|2021|06|05|1928|10|30}} |
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| death_place = [[Des Plaines, Illinois]], US |
| death_place = [[Des Plaines, Illinois]], US |
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| father = [[Donald J. Russell]] |
| father = [[Donald J. Russell]] |
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}} |
}} |
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'''Ann Russell Miller''' (October 30, 1928{{Spaced en dash}}June 5, 2021) was an American [[socialite]] who left her wealth behind to become a nun |
'''Ann Russell Miller''' (October 30, 1928{{Spaced en dash}}June 5, 2021) was an American [[socialite]] who left her wealth behind to become a nun known as Sister '''Mary Joseph of the Trinity'''. |
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== Early life == |
== Early life == |
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Mary Ann Russell was born in [[San Francisco]] on October 30, 1928.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Lara|first=Adair|date=March 27, 2005|title=From high society to a higher calling / The San Francisco socialite had it all |
Mary Ann Russell was born in [[San Francisco]] on October 30, 1928.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Lara|first=Adair|date=March 27, 2005|title=From high society to a higher calling / The San Francisco socialite had it all – 10 children, friends, wealth – but she traded it in for life in a convent.|url=https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/From-high-society-to-a-higher-calling-The-San-2689543.php|access-date=June 9, 2021|website=SFGATE|language=en-US}}</ref> Her father, [[Donald J. Russell]], chaired [[Southern Pacific Railroad]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=O'Donnell|first=Maureen |date=June 8, 2021|title=Sr. Mary Joseph of the Trinity, socialite who became 'kind of an unusual nun,' dead at 91 |url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/2021/6/8/22524613/ann-russell-miller-sister-mary-joseph-trinity-socialite-unusual-nun-discalced-carmelite|access-date=June 9, 2021|website=Chicago Sun-Times|language=en}}</ref> Her mother was Louise Herring Russell.<ref name=Rumore2021 /> |
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She was an only child after the death |
She was an only child after the death of her sister Donna when she was young.<ref>{{Cite web|date=October 29, 1994|title=Socialite Gives Up Wealth, Family to Become a Nun : Convents: Ann Russell Miller of San Francisco leads a cloistered life, after 10 children and years of celebrity and philanthropy. By all accounts, she is happy.|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-10-29-me-56060-story.html|access-date=June 9, 2021|website=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=Rumore2021>{{cite news |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-sister-mary-joseph-trinity-carmelite-des-plaines-20210611-6oznt6b25raddjzdh74gxzdsvu-story.html |title=Saying goodbye to 'Nun Grandma': The San Francisco philanthropist, widow and mother of 10 who gave it all up to spend her last 31 years in a Des Plaines monastery |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |date=June 13, 2021 |first=Kori |last=Rumore |access-date=June 14, 2021}}</ref> |
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== Personal life == |
== Personal life == |
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Russell married Richard K. Miller on June 15, 1948.<ref>{{Cite news|date=June 16, 1948|title=Richard Miller Claims Ann Russell|page=25|work=The San |
Russell had dreams of becoming a nun, but instead fell in love and married Richard K. Miller on June 15, 1948.<ref>{{Cite news|date=June 16, 1948|title=Richard Miller Claims Ann Russell|page=25|work=The San Francisco Examiner|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/458825867/|url-access=subscription|access-date=June 14, 2021|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> Richard was an heir to the [[J. A. Folger|Folger coffee fortune]]. He was also the grandson of [[Pacific Gas and Electric Company#San Francisco Gas and Electric|Christian Otto Gerberding "C.O.G." Miller]], the founder of Pacific Lighting Corporation, which eventually became [[Pacific Gas and Electric Company]]; Richard eventually rose to the vice presidency of that company. She and Richard had a total of ten children.<ref name=Rumore2021/> |
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She became a prominent [[socialite]] in San Francisco, holding a spot on 22 organization boards and donating money to various causes.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite news|date=June 8, 2021|title=The US socialite who gave it all up to become a Carmelite nun|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-57399288|access-date=June 9, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=June 8, 2021|title=Onetime SF Socialite Ann Miller, Who Left the City to Become a Nun 30 Years Ago, Dies at 92|url=https://sfist.com/2021/06/08/onetime-sf-socialite-ann-miller-left-city-to-become-nun-dies/|access-date=June 9, 2021|website=SFist |
She became a prominent [[socialite]] in San Francisco, holding a spot on 22 organization boards and donating money to various causes.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite news|date=June 8, 2021|title=The US socialite who gave it all up to become a Carmelite nun|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-57399288|access-date=June 9, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=June 8, 2021|title=Onetime SF Socialite Ann Miller, Who Left the City to Become a Nun 30 Years Ago, Dies at 92|url=https://sfist.com/2021/06/08/onetime-sf-socialite-ann-miller-left-city-to-become-nun-dies/|access-date=June 9, 2021|website=SFist – San Francisco News, Restaurants, Events, & Sports|language=en|archive-date=June 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210609022304/https://sfist.com/2021/06/08/onetime-sf-socialite-ann-miller-left-city-to-become-nun-dies/|url-status=dead}}</ref> According to a 2005 feature in the ''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]'' she was friends with [[Loretta Young]], [[Nancy Reagan]], and [[Phyllis Diller]].<ref name=":0" /> She held frequent parties at her nine-bedroom San Francisco mansion, and spent her days smoking, drinking champagne, playing cards and travelling around the world on scuba diving trips. Even so, she was a devout Christian and made a pact with her husband that when one of them died, the other would join a religious order. When her husband died of cancer in 1984,<ref name=":2" /> Corky Bowles invited her to join him on his yacht, and proposed. She refused as she had already made up her mind that she now belonged with the Carmelite nuns.<ref name=":3">{{Cite news|date=June 17, 2021|title=Sister Mary Joseph of the Trinity|work=The Times}}</ref> |
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On her 61st birthday in 1989, Miller announced she would be entering a [[convent]],<ref name=":0" /> left her mansion overlooking San Francisco Bay before it was sold to a member of the band Metallica. She threw a party at the San Francisco Hilton for 800 guests. She wore a flower crown, and carried a helium balloon with the words "Here I am", so that people could find her in the crowd of 800 attendees. She gave away all of her possessions, and boarded a plane the following day to join the [[Carmelites|Sisters of Our Lady of Mount Carmel]] based in [[Des Plaines, Illinois]]. She announced that "The first two-thirds of my life were devoted to the world. The last third will be devoted to my soul."<ref name=":3" /> |
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Her children's reactions were mixed.<ref name=Rumore2021 /> |
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⚫ | Miller remained in the |
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⚫ | Miller remained in the convent for the rest of her life, rarely seeing her family.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0" /> According to one of her sons, Mark Miller, "She was kind of an unusual nun. She didn't sing very well. She was frequently late to her required duties around the convent. She threw sticks for the [community] dogs, which was not allowed. Also, she was my mother."<ref name=":1" /> |
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⚫ | Miller died on June 5, 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The US Socialite Who Gave Up Her Wealth, Left Her Family |
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She is survived by Donna Casey, Janet Abbott, Marian Miller, Leslie Schemel and Elena Caruso, sons Dick, Donald, David, and Mark 28 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/2021/6/8/22524613/ann-russell-miller-sister-mary-joseph-trinity-socialite-unusual-nun-discalced-carmelite |title=Sr. Mary Joseph of the Trinity, socialite who became ‘kind of an unusual nun,’ dead at 91 |newspaper=Chicago Sun-Times |first=Maureen |last=O’Donnell |date=June 8, 2021 |access-date=June 15, 2021 }}</ref> |
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⚫ | Miller died after complications from a stroke on June 5, 2021, aged 92.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The US Socialite Who Gave Up Her Wealth, Left Her Family to Become a Nun|url=https://www.ndtv.com/offbeat/ann-russell-miller-the-socialite-who-gave-up-her-wealth-a-nun-2459844|access-date=June 9, 2021|website=NDTV.com}}</ref><ref name=":3" /> She was buried on the grounds of the convent in Des Plaines, Illinois, and her family had a private funeral for her.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Onetime SF Socialite Ann Miller |url=https://sfist.com/2021/06/08/onetime-sf-socialite-ann-miller-left-city-to-become-nun-dies/ |access-date=June 8, 2021 |website=sfist.com |date=June 8, 2021 |archive-date=June 9, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210609022304/https://sfist.com/2021/06/08/onetime-sf-socialite-ann-miller-left-city-to-become-nun-dies/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> |
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== References == |
== References == |
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[[Category:1928 births]] |
[[Category:1928 births]] |
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[[Category:2021 deaths]] |
[[Category:2021 deaths]] |
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[[Category:American socialites]] |
[[Category:American socialites]] |
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[[Category:Carmelite nuns]] |
[[Category:Carmelite nuns]] |
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[[Category:People from San Francisco]] |
[[Category:People from San Francisco]] |
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Latest revision as of 19:34, 26 February 2024
Ann Russell Miller | |
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Born | Mary Ann Russell October 30, 1928 San Francisco, California, US[1] |
Died | June 5, 2021 | (aged 92)
Other names | Mary Joseph of the Trinity |
Occupation(s) | Socialite, Carmelite nun |
Children | 10 |
Parent |
|
Ann Russell Miller (October 30, 1928 – June 5, 2021) was an American socialite who left her wealth behind to become a nun known as Sister Mary Joseph of the Trinity.
Early life
Mary Ann Russell was born in San Francisco on October 30, 1928.[2] Her father, Donald J. Russell, chaired Southern Pacific Railroad.[3] Her mother was Louise Herring Russell.[4]
She was an only child after the death of her sister Donna when she was young.[5][4]
Personal life
Russell had dreams of becoming a nun, but instead fell in love and married Richard K. Miller on June 15, 1948.[6] Richard was an heir to the Folger coffee fortune. He was also the grandson of Christian Otto Gerberding "C.O.G." Miller, the founder of Pacific Lighting Corporation, which eventually became Pacific Gas and Electric Company; Richard eventually rose to the vice presidency of that company. She and Richard had a total of ten children.[4]
She became a prominent socialite in San Francisco, holding a spot on 22 organization boards and donating money to various causes.[2][3][7][8] According to a 2005 feature in the San Francisco Chronicle she was friends with Loretta Young, Nancy Reagan, and Phyllis Diller.[2] She held frequent parties at her nine-bedroom San Francisco mansion, and spent her days smoking, drinking champagne, playing cards and travelling around the world on scuba diving trips. Even so, she was a devout Christian and made a pact with her husband that when one of them died, the other would join a religious order. When her husband died of cancer in 1984,[7] Corky Bowles invited her to join him on his yacht, and proposed. She refused as she had already made up her mind that she now belonged with the Carmelite nuns.[9]
On her 61st birthday in 1989, Miller announced she would be entering a convent,[2] left her mansion overlooking San Francisco Bay before it was sold to a member of the band Metallica. She threw a party at the San Francisco Hilton for 800 guests. She wore a flower crown, and carried a helium balloon with the words "Here I am", so that people could find her in the crowd of 800 attendees. She gave away all of her possessions, and boarded a plane the following day to join the Sisters of Our Lady of Mount Carmel based in Des Plaines, Illinois. She announced that "The first two-thirds of my life were devoted to the world. The last third will be devoted to my soul."[9]
Her children's reactions were mixed.[4]
Miller remained in the convent for the rest of her life, rarely seeing her family.[7][3][2] According to one of her sons, Mark Miller, "She was kind of an unusual nun. She didn't sing very well. She was frequently late to her required duties around the convent. She threw sticks for the [community] dogs, which was not allowed. Also, she was my mother."[3]
Death
Miller died after complications from a stroke on June 5, 2021, aged 92.[10][9] She was buried on the grounds of the convent in Des Plaines, Illinois, and her family had a private funeral for her.[11]
References
- ^ "Sister Mary Joseph of the Trinity, socialite who left her old life behind and took holy orders – obituary". The Telegraph. London (UK): Telegraph Media Group Limited. June 12, 2021. ISSN 0307-1235. ProQuest 2540280641.
- ^ a b c d e Lara, Adair (March 27, 2005). "From high society to a higher calling / The San Francisco socialite had it all – 10 children, friends, wealth – but she traded it in for life in a convent". SFGATE. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
- ^ a b c d O'Donnell, Maureen (June 8, 2021). "Sr. Mary Joseph of the Trinity, socialite who became 'kind of an unusual nun,' dead at 91". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
- ^ a b c d Rumore, Kori (June 13, 2021). "Saying goodbye to 'Nun Grandma': The San Francisco philanthropist, widow and mother of 10 who gave it all up to spend her last 31 years in a Des Plaines monastery". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved June 14, 2021.
- ^ "Socialite Gives Up Wealth, Family to Become a Nun : Convents: Ann Russell Miller of San Francisco leads a cloistered life, after 10 children and years of celebrity and philanthropy. By all accounts, she is happy". Los Angeles Times. October 29, 1994. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
- ^ "Richard Miller Claims Ann Russell". The San Francisco Examiner. June 16, 1948. p. 25. Retrieved June 14, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c "The US socialite who gave it all up to become a Carmelite nun". BBC News. June 8, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
- ^ "Onetime SF Socialite Ann Miller, Who Left the City to Become a Nun 30 Years Ago, Dies at 92". SFist – San Francisco News, Restaurants, Events, & Sports. June 8, 2021. Archived from the original on June 9, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
- ^ a b c "Sister Mary Joseph of the Trinity". The Times. June 17, 2021.
- ^ "The US Socialite Who Gave Up Her Wealth, Left Her Family to Become a Nun". NDTV.com. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
- ^ "Onetime SF Socialite Ann Miller". sfist.com. June 8, 2021. Archived from the original on June 9, 2021. Retrieved June 8, 2021.