Vergene was my voice teacher- on and off for 10 years or so. She would answer my call for HELP!! and fit me into her schedule with laughter, kindness and assurance that everything would be ok. I would have a yearly freakout -as I sang  challenging (for me) songs with a bunch of musicians who gathered annually.  My lessons from Vergene were so much fun. She was not too demanding yet I was aware that I was singing far beyond my range with her. She would tease me into going further. She had so much knowledge as to what I was doing -right and wrong-and she conveyed this to me carefully and respectfully. She made me feel good about myself as a singer and as a woman facing challenges that only a performer facing possible humiliations galore can know.  I really loved Vergene and wish Id known her during the first 50 years of my life. But better late than never.  I will always think of her. When I sing I feel very vulnerable like Im exposing my soul. Vergene knew this about singers and worked like a good therapist-because she was a beautiful singer, performer, and because she was smart and she cared. Voice is such a difficult thing to understand. Teaching voice is a real talent. I feel blessed to have been her student.

Concerto Competition

I am crushed that I cannot attend today, but I came down with a cold yesterday, and as Vergene taught me, never come to your lessons sick. 

How do I talk about the person who changed my life, gave me the tools for two careers, and loved a little damaged child into health? I met Vergene in the winter of 1990. She was in Vienna for my first semester at DePauw, so I was extremely excited to meet her. To say I was a hot mess is an understatement, but Vergene specialized in helping hot messes.  She knew just how to give us singing technique while providing protection from the onslaught of emotion. She had clear boundaries, which many of us going into singing were never allowed to have. She gave so generously of her time, her skills, and her home, housing me countless times so that I may take from her over summers, while charging a pittance since she knew I came from poverty. She believed in me when I couldn't, and she took me to the highest echelons of the opera world. When I decided I wanted to stop traveling on the road so that I could be with my family, she had given me all the tools I needed to be the teacher I never knew I wanted to be, but now is my absolute passion. If I am a good teacher now, it is because of Vergene.

Vergene was so funny. We would laugh through so many lessons, and she could use that humor to diffuse so much pain. I know she fought through so many health problems over all the years, but she was so incredibly strong. I don't think anyone ever really knew how much she suffered. She healed so many, and I wonder if all of that ministering drained her and hurt her. I hope not, and I hope we gave her some of that love and energy back.

Vergene had such an amazing brain. Her lovely high voice that she employed because of her vocal paresis masked that dazzling intellect for many people, who assumed that high pitches meant "lots of resonating space instead of gray matter." I remember all of the deep dives into history, the research work, the knowledge of art and her endless curiosity made being in her company so engaging. I learned so much from her that had nothing to do with singing.

As a teacher now, I am so absolutely soul grateful to have had a Vergene in my life to show me what that means. Old English tæcan (past tense tæhte, past participle tæht) means  "to show, demonstrate, warn, persuade, train." I would add love to that list. The child therapists tells us that the best thing we can do as parents is to love our children first and foremost. I would posit that voice teachers have the same job--to love the voice in front of them, to nurture it, protect it, and help it through all its stages and changes without judgement. Vergene showed all of her voice baby birds such love, and now I try with every lesson, with every note out of my throat, to honor this amazing woman. I love you, Vergene. The world misses your love and energy, but I am so glad you get to rest. Fly away, beautiful bird.

Hello Meg and Dale: Narsimhan and I were saddened to learn of your loss in today’s newspaper. Vergene was always so warm and friendly. A lovely lady and dear neighbor. We send your family our love and prayers for the strength to bear your loss. Unfortunately we will be unable to attend the ceremony on Saturday as I am currently immunocompromised and avoiding crowds. Meena 

Vergene was my voice coach when I was in high school and even arranged for me to apply for a scholarship to DePauw. She helped me develop so much confidence as a shy teen and am grateful for her support and have so many fond memories of working with her. I can’t tell you how many stories I’ve shared with my kids over the years about the work I did with Ms. Miller. I’ve no doubt she touched hundreds and probably thousands of young lives in a profound way. Sending love and peace to her family and gratitude to them for sharing her with so many of us over the years.

Gigi showed my an old family recipe for cauliflower and onion salad. I cooked while philosophy and laughter were overheard in the other room with my husband James. I am so grateful to have hugged her and told her I loved her two days before the fall.

Vergene Noel Miller, Daughter of Robert and Madelon Carlson was born in  Oakes North Dokota on December 15th, 1939. Vergene's family moved to South Dakota when she was very young, and they lived on a large farm near Hudson South Dakota where her father farmed and had cattle. Their huge vegetable garden installed in here a life long love of gardening. She started he education at Normana grade school and then she graduated from Augustana Academy in 1958. While at Augustana Academy, she was very active in music department and was a soloist with the choir in more than one cross country tour. She also participated in theater and other activities. After high school she attended Augustana College in Sioux Falls. It was there that she met her future husband, Dale Miller. While at Augustana she appeared in many musical productions. She also participated in Miss South Dakota pageant where she won most talented two years in a row. Following her Freshman year, she performed in a summer theater in Black Hills of South Dakota. During her freshman year, she also named Miss Sioux Empire, which allowed her to travel to Chicago with an escort to audition for famed vocal coach Madame Sharanova. She was accepted into the program and continued to study with her for many years. While in Chicago, Vergene performed at many concerts, musical productions, and television performances. She left Chicago in 1959 to perform with the famous Sheiks Sextet in a supper club in Minneapolis. They performed condensed operettas and musicals. What amazing costumes she had! In 1960b she married the love of her life Dale Miller. The couple moved to Huron SD in 1960 where they both taught at Huron College. Their first child Michael was born in October 1961 and their daughter Meg was born May 1963. From Huron the couple moved to Colombia MO, she performed in a production of Sound of Music with Florence Henderson at the St Louis Municipal Opera. In 1968, the family moved to Evanston where Vergene finished a Masters Degree in Music from Northwestern University. It was during this period that she performed widely all over the Chicago area. She also did over 50 club dates with her husband where they sang together, danced together, and incorporated their two children into the act. It was a family affair! After graduating, she taught voice at Barat College in Lake Forest IL. In 1972, she spent the summer at Yale at an intense summer workshop. IN 1976, the family moved to West Lafayette IN, where Dale was the chairman of the Theater Department at Purdue University. Very shortly thereafter Vergene was teaching both at St. Joseph's College and DePauw University. While at DePauw she directed many operas and sang as a soloist frequently with both the orchestra and the choir. In 1989, she was named director of Eastern European Studies. That year, following a summer of study in Salzburg Austria, she spent a semester in Vienna where she was in charge of 25 DePauw students. While in Europe, the group traveled quite frequently including such places as Moscow, Berlin, and Budapest. This was an intense time to be in Europe as the Berlin wall came down while they were staying there. Vergene retired from DePauw in 2005 after helping so many students achieve their goals of learning to sing. She continued to teach privately until right before her death in 2023. The greatest loves of her life besides her students were her husband Dale, her children Mike and Meg, her three grandchildren Adriana, Lindsey, Kira, and her great granddaughter Evelyn. She loved books, watching birds, and traveling the world with Dale. Together they toured England, France, Scandinavia, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Spain, Portugal, Greece, and many other places. They Spent the entire summer in Copenhagen as a guest of one of Vergene's students. Vergene had been suffering from dizziness for the last few years and had had several bad falls. On March 20th of this year, she had a really bad fall in the garage where she fractured her skull very badly in two places. She was taken from St. Francis in Lafayette by helicopter to St. Vincent's in Indianapolis. She never really regained consciousness. On the advice of her medical team, the family decided to take Vergene off life support on Monday April 3rd. She passed away only a few minutes later very peacefully surrounded by her loving family.