Ellen Louise (Cheatum) Heil (formerly Miller)

Birth: February 4, 1945 | Died: March 17, 2026

It is with heavy hearts and profound love that we announce the passing of Ellen Louise Heil on March 17, 2026 in St. Peter, Minnesota. Ellen was born on February 4, 1945 in Fullerton, California to Jane and Leonard Cheatum. From a young age, Ellen faced difficult health challenges including hearing impairment and a broken back. The hearing aid and back-brace didn’t stop her from enjoying family vacations and she proudly graduated from Buena Park High School just like her surviving older sister Nancy Burkhart. She married her husband John Dow Miller in 1968. They settled in Anaheim and had three children. After John passed away suddenly on 1984, Ellen was left to raise her young children. With quiet strength she provided for her growing children despite continuing health challenges. In 1986 she married Lester Heil. They retired to Queen Creek, Arizona in 2006. They shared more than 35 years of marriage together before Lester passed in 2021. Ellen moved to St. Peter Minnesota in 2023 to be closer to her daughter Valerie. Among her other hobbies, Ellen was a gardener, loved music, singing, westerns and old movies, jigsaw puzzles and of course anything with Tom Selleck. She had a strong faith in God with deep sincerity. She was a kind, forgiving women who laughed easily. We take comfort knowing she is now at peace, She is survived by her loving daughter Valerie Elliott and her two sons, Wayne Miller and Ben Miller, along with four grandchildren (Sean, Stacie, Grace, Maddie).