- Anna Maybee Miller Epling, of Shreveport, La., passed away suddenly on March 8, 2022, International Women's Day. Anna was born on Oct. 4, 1936, the daughter of Wesley and Grace Miller, in Philadelphia, Pa., and was an enrolled member of the Seneca Nation, Turtle Clan. She is survived by her devoted spouse and partner in life of 36 years, John P. Epling, Shreveport, La.; her daughters, Gilda Boyer (Barry), Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Tracey Redd (Leslie Jr.), Woodinville, Wash.; her stepchildren, Shelly Epling, Shreveport, La., Vincent Epling, West Monroe, La., and Kelly Meilleur Gaddie, Slidell, La.; her son-in-law, Samuel Bonney, Dallas, Texas; and numerous grandchildren, Erik Boyer, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Lauren Boyer, Chicago, Ill., Jessica Dickson, Seattle, Wash., Devin Rosario, Seattle, Wash., Grace Redd, Woodinville, Wash., Andrew Purzak, Brooklyn, N.Y., Lexi Epling, West Monroe, La., Sophia Logan, Slidell, La., Joel Epling, New Orleans, La., and Christian Mighell, Milliken, Colo.; and two great-grandchildren, Whittaker Dickson and Harrison Dickson, Seattle, Wash. She was preceded in death by her parents; her sister, Willhemina "Billie" Miller; and her daughter, Gwen Vinzulis Bonney. Though her middle name was Maybee, there was only yes and why not when it came to Anna. She was a proud graduate of Friends Select in Philadelphia, where she was influenced by the principles of Quakerism (simplicity, peace, integrity, community, equality and stewardship), and there met her friend for life Suzanne Root. She was a life-long progressive in every sense of that word, beginning with being admitted in 1956 to the second class of women to attend The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. She believed to her core in equal rights for women, and devoted many hours to the fight for gender equality, most importantly in the fight for a woman's right to control her own body and determine her reproductive life, culminating in the founding of Planned Parenthood of East Central Iowa (now part of Planned Parenthood North Central States). She had almost 40 years of sobriety, and spent the past three decades in partnership with her husband John, helping addicts of all kinds and their families, to find recovery, one day at a time. She was fun-loving, skiing with her grandkids until age 78, optimistic, and fast with a laugh, especially through the tough times life brings. We have lost our family icon and will miss her terribly. The world was made better by her being in it, and it will be a little less so without her. There will be a family Celebration of Life at a later date, as requested by Anna. Memorials can be made to Planned Parenthood North Central States (for Iowa support) or the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Iowa Chapter
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1967 - 2007 (40 years)
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