Helen Dorothy Burger, wife of Glenn Miller

On Thursday I read Michele's post at Cherish the Home about Glenn Miller and his wonderfully supportive wife, Helen Dorothy Burger.

Michele shared this: "When Glenn would become discouraged, she was there to lift him up. When money was tight, she didn't complain about what they didn't have but figured out how to make do with less. She scrimped and saved so that they had a bit of savings built up so he could put his band together. She kept his home and his schedule was her schedule.

When he failed, she didn't stomp on his dream, she encouraged him to try again, no matter what they had to sacrifice for him to do so. She believed in him and when he was ready to just settle for a safe, easy job she encouraged him to not settle. To follow his dream which was to find 'his sound'. . .

It took many years of sacrifice and disappointment but Helen never lost faith in him ... and she didn't allow him to lose faith in himself. She didn't mother him but she was his sweetheart and best friend and she encouraged him to keep trying."




When Glenn Miller's plane was announced missing on December 15, 1944, Helen faded from the limelight and within a few years became just another ordinary citizen, living her life and raising their 2 adopted children until she died on June 2 1966 in Los Angeles, California and even then, very little was reported about her death in newspapers.

Both Helen's parents died in Los Angeles as well, her father Fred W Burger on Apr 14 1949 and her mother Anna Faivre on Feb 12 1963. [I found both their mothers' maiden names from their death certificates]

Because of my deep and abiding interest in genealogy, I decided to take on the challenge to see what I could discover about Helen Miller and here's a little of what I've discovered ~

Alton Glen MILLER, aka Glenn Miller, was born on March 1, 1904 in Clarinda, Iowa to Lewis Elmer MILLER [ie: his composition Elmer's Tune was probably for his father!] and Mattie Lou CAVENDER. He had an infant brother who died before he was born as well as brothers Elmer Deane, John Herbert and Emma Irene ~ ALL of the siblings were known by their MIDDLE NAMES for some reason :o)

Helen Dorothy BURGER was born Feb 17 1902 in Boulder, Colorado to Fred W BURGER & Anna FAIVRE. Fred's parents both immigrated to the US from Germany and Anna's parents both immigrated from France. Helen was an only child, unless she had siblings who all died before any Census was taken.

The 1980 book *Glenn Miller and His Orchestra* [by old friend and band member George T. Simon] has some very early photos of Glenn and Helen and had a photo of the newspaper article announcing their marriage which took place October 6, 1928 in New York City.

~ FORMER COLORADO U STUDENTS MARRIED IN NEW YORK CITY ~

Mrs Glenn Miller ~ formerly Helen Burger

Boulder, Colo., Oct 9th - Miss Helen Burger, graduate of the University of Colorado and member of the Pi Beta Phi sorority, was married at New York City on Saturday to Glenn Miller, also a former university student and now the highest paid trombone player in the United States. They will live in New York.

Miller's parents reside at Fort Morgan. Mrs. Miller is the daughter of County Clerk and Mrs Fred W Burger of Boulder county.
* * *
The sentiments of most people who knew them really well were that "the greatest thing that ever happened to Glenn Miller was Helen Miller"!

Although the movie may have presented some inaccuracies and exaggerations, everything about the love, warmth and understanding shown between James/Glenn and June/Helen Miller was completely *true to life*.

In reading their story, it appears as though Glenn Miller was a practical, unemotional and a *straight-to-the-point* sort of person, while Helen was warm, charming and extremely considerate of other people's feelings.

According to the various comments I've read from their close friends, EVERYTHING Michele said about Helen Miller was completely true and simply demonstrated how, in her own quiet way, she was a very strong person, yet always remained discreetly in the background.

The 1980 book talks about them not being able to have children after Helen's serious surgery in the late 1930s and how they later adopted a son and a daughter.

I then came across another book called *I Kept My Word* written by Clarence B. Wolfe in 1986 wherein he tells exactly how Glenn Miller died ~ shot down by “friendly fire” over the English Channel on his way to Paris, to make preparations ahead of his band's arrival.

June Allyson does a wonderful job of portraying Helen, heartbroken after hearing the devastating news and listening to the song *Little Brown Jug*, near the end of the story.

Helen Miller didn't have the privilege of burying her husband, so had no grave to visit, but she had wonderful memories and 2 children to raise, the youngest of whom had never seen her father.

All those songs that touched the hearts of music lovers the world over were heard by Helen over the next 22 years until her death.



I wonder whether it was difficult for her to hear them or whether hearing them brought back special, wonderful memories of having had a husband whom she dearly loved and who loved her?

*Imagine how you would feel, having recently received the devastating news of your dear husband's tragic death and then listening to the Christmas broadcast of the rest of the band that made it safely to Paris, knowing that your dear one had told you that you would get your gift on Christmas Day when you heard the band playing!

*Imagine hearing the first strains of a song you loved, but knew your dear one did NOT, and yet because he knew how special it was to you, he made a brand new arrangement.

*Imagine knowing that it was the last special thing he could ever do for you and being filled with love ~ treasuring his last gift, but being filled with sadness all at the same time.

Think of that as you listen to the little music video below

Glenn Miller's musical legacy lives on over 64 years after his death, a legacy that owes much of its being to the love and support of his faithful and devoted wife, Helen Dorothy Burger.