LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. — Carrying candles and heavy hearts, hundreds gathered outside Bird-in-Hand Family Inn in Leacock Township, pausing for a moment of silence for Michelle Miller.
Miller was working as a night auditor at the inn early Monday morning – a job she held for 34 years.
That night at around 2:30 a.m., the front office exploded and burst into flame, killing the 61-year-old.
“The emotions are raw as you can expect,” said John Smucker, CEO of Bird-In-Hand Corporation. “They are very heightened, they are very impactful. They affect our daily work. We are just in this process of grieving.”
Family, friends, community members and first responders gathered near the inn that’s now reduced to charred rubble, speaking of Miller’s life and her impact on those around her.
“Many people looked at her not necessarily as a colleague at work, but as a true friend,” Smucker said. “We’re going to lose that and miss that. We lost that.”
Glowing candles, keeping Miller’s memory alive as those gathered sang out the notes of her favorite Christmas carol, heartbroken Michelle isn’t here to sing along.
Michelle’s husband Joe Miller, offered these heartfelt words and a reminder as he faces this painful loss, “I urge you to hug your friends and family like never before because there is no tomorrow guaranteed for anybody. We know where she is and I have no doubt of that in my mind. It’s the surest thing I’ve ever known.”
Miller’s family plans to hold funeral services for Michelle in the new year.
The inn sustained $1 to $2 million in damage in the propane explosion. The restaurant next door is expected to reopen Tuesday, December 26.