She was a daughter of Windber,
Child of the working class.
Her daddy was a coal miner,
With a Hungarian past.

In her youth a caretaker,
For her ailin’ brother and mom.
No adversity could shake her,
She was courageous and strong.
Though life was hard, the kids would play in the yard,
Makin’ do with what little they had.
She loved to sing, makin’ music would bring
A sense of joy, that washed out the sad.

After 40 years workin’ below,
Berwind shut the mines all down.
Her daddy scraped the last ton of coal,
Moved Millie to Chicago town.

She had two sons, Eric and Carl,
They were the love of her life.
With a rocky, uncertain tomorrow,
She stood strong against strife.
Cracking glass ceilings wherever she’d go;
Raised the boys mostly on her own.
Peoria, DeKalb, to Atlanta she rolled,
Unafraid to face the unknown.

[Chorus] Hey Millie, we’re here to celebrate you
Hey Millie, sing your praises.
Hey Millie, we’re here to elevate you –
Forever in time,
Forever, your star will shine!

Met Bill Beik through a mutual friend,
At foreign films they’d rendezvous.
Sparks flew between the two of them,
Their marriage made her feel brand new.

Retirement brought her to Pittsburgh,
With home sickness in her eyes.
She wrote “The Miners of Windber,”
Why the workers fought to unionize.
Historian, librarian, activist for sure,
The spirit of community endeared her.
Her programs and marker will always endure,
So this battle will always be clear.

Breakin’ bread with the Pumphouse gang,
Wednesday mornings down at Eat N’ Park.
She found a whole new family of friends,
We were her Noah’s Ark.

Her dinner parties were so much fun,
She was the hostess who aimed to please.
Loved her dogs, big Jake was the one
At a party ate a whole block of cheese.
Cooking, bowling, gardening, teaching labor history,
So much love to give away.
The hills, woods, unions, it was easy to see,
She was at home, here in Western PA.

[Chorus] Hey Millie, we’re here to celebrate you
    Hey Millie, sing your praises.
                Hey Millie, we’re here to elevate you –
Forever, your star will shine!
Hey Millie, we’re here to venerate you
Hey Millie, down through the ages.
                Hey Millie, we’re here to say we love you.
                Forever through time,
    Oh forever, your star will shine!

She was a daughter of Windber,
Mine No. 40 her past.
She had a fire within her;
She was working class.

Words &; Music by:
Mike Stout, October, 2023