2021 Grand Marshal

For Immediate Release:

It is our great pleasure to announce Kathy Miller as the 2021 Grand Marshal for the 57th annual Marshall Christmas Parade. The Grand Marshal is an honor given to individuals who exemplify the “best of Marshall,” who are active in local business and volunteerism, and who genuinely care about this community.

Kathy attended high school in her hometown of Comstock, MI with her husband Ralph. She remembers describing him to a girlfriend, trying to set them up on a date, when she realized he was quite a catch. They have now been married for 60 years and both of their children, Steve and Chris, graduated from Marshall High School. Their family grew by one when Steve married LeeAnn Schroll, and now contains four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren too.

Kathy and Ralph moved to Marshall in 1963 for Ralph’s job with Wolf’s Floor Covering. They were in town only two weeks when they needed a doctor, and were amazed when Dr. Glotfelty made a house call! Marshall quickly became home for the young couple, due to the many caring and helpful people they met. They moved to Texas for 13 years but were homesick for Marshall the whole time, so they moved back at their first opportunity and have lived here ever since.

Maybe it was due to seeing that Marshall spirit when first in town, but something inspired Kathy to become a tireless promoter for Marshall and to give back to the community in numerous ways. She served on the Marshall City Council for many years and has worked at both the Calhoun County Fairgrounds and the advisor-chronicle newspaper.

Kathy volunteers at the Marshall Area Farmer’s Market, Franke Center for the Arts, the Heritage Commons Senior Center, and, along with Lynn Meservey, founded the Presbyterian Center for Children.

She is one of the “original 20” who brought the Relay for Life to town, at a time when she still didn’t know anyone with the disease. Seeing the need to bring something fun and whimsical to this weekend event, she became the Purple Fairy and has graced our event for years. One nominator wrote, “My closest tie to Kathy is her involvement with Relay for Life. Her involvement in Relay has been instrumental in my son’s recovery from cancer.”

Kathy encourages others to get involved too. She spends hours on the phone, online, and in person making sure events have more than enough volunteers. Kathy told me that Marshall volunteers are the true Grand Marshals.

Kathy was recognized for her volunteer efforts by Gov. Millikan when she won the Minuteman Award during Michigan Week. She was also the winner of four Outstanding Young Women of Michigan Jaycee Auxiliary awards. One of her most precious volunteer activities was creating the J-Club, which helped young female offenders break the cycle they were in, allowing them to become upstanding citizens.

Nominators praised Kathy with phrases like “she has always been a voice for Marshall”, “She is an amazing woman, very kind-hearted, I just love her”, and “Kathy is a force of nature”. Another nominee stated, “She is one of the best advocates for Marshall – always helping, always promoting and being positive, and always leading by example.”

The Marshall Christmas Parade will be on Monday, November 29 and the theme is “Giving Has No Season.” We believe that this is a great year for Kathy Miller to be Grand Marshal, she perfectly matches the theme. Look for Kathy in a carriage provided by Twinn Pines Carriage Company, pulled by Hannah the horse.

You still have time to submit a parade entry, the deadline is November 16, 2021. Send your entry to the Choose Marshall Welcome Center, 323 West Michigan Avenue, Marshall, MI 49068 or email it to [email protected].

Additionally, entry forms can be found at www.choosemarshall.com/news/christmas-parade-application/ that can be completed and submitted online. Please call 269-781-5163 with any questions.

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Choose Marshall Welcome Center
323 West Michigan Avenue
Marshall, MI 49068
[email protected]
269.781.5163