Remembering Ronda Miller, Meadowlark Poet

In December, we received the sad news that Ronda Miller, Meadowlark poet (among many other Kansas literary titles), passed away. Ronda was a wonderful poet and her book, MoonStain, was the very first Meadowlark book of poetry. She dedicated her life to serving her various communities, offering guidance and assistance to those in need. She is, and will continue to be, deeply missed. We are grateful that her spirit may continue on in the words and memories she left us. 

Ronda coordinated the annual Celebration of William Stafford poetry reading event. This upcoming February, the event will be held as a remembrance for both Ronda and William Stafford. We invite you to join us February 1, 1-4 p.m. 

Below is Ronda's official obituary, originally published in The Lawrence Times: 

11/3/1952 – 12/9/2024

Ronda Jae Miller passed into the next life on December 9th, 2024. She was born in Fort Collins, Colorado on November 3rd, 1952, the youngest child of Gerald and Peggy Wiggins. After the death of her mother at age three, she was raised by her maternal Grandparents Leonard and Helen Miller on the high plains of Cheyenne County, Kansas. She was shaped greatly by the tragic early loss of her mother but found enjoyment in her childhood reading, riding horses, running track, and exploring the expansive beauty of western Kansas around their family farm with her siblings and cousins.

Upon graduating from Saint Francis High School in 1970, Ronda settled in Lawrence, Kansas, and quickly found her place in a community she admired for its diversity and freedom of thought. She attended the University of Kansas, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing and completed postgraduate coursework in Human Development/Family Life. Over the years she worked as a union organizer, restaurateur at The Casbah, commercial fashion model, police officer, and early childhood educator for 30 years, retiring in 2018.

Ronda was married twice, to Joseph Goodman in 1978, and to Dimitry Shreders in 1987. With Dimitry, she welcomed her two beloved children into the world, a son Scott in 1988 and a daughter Apollonia in 1991. She was also the loving stepmother of Dimitry’s two older sons, Sasha and Nick.

Later in life, she rekindled a passion for words, beginning a prolific 15-year stretch of writing and sharing poetry, often traveling across the state to participate in events with the Kansas Authors Club. She was the author of five published books, a contributor to many others, and was working on a memoir. During the final three years of her life, she taught creative writing to incarcerated people. She advocated for countless organizations and causes, hosting many events. Ronda profoundly impacted the local writing community and left a lasting legacy of poetry. She believed that her purpose in life was to connect with others through the transformative power of the written word. She would often state, “It isn’t about my life, it is about allowing myself to meet the poems I am meant to write.”

She is survived by two children, Scott Shreders (Anna) of Michigan, and daughter Apollonia Racca (Gabriel) of California; two step-sons, Alexander “Sasha” Shreders of Massachusetts, and Nicholas Shreders (Julie) of Massachusetts; four siblings: sister Jena Acors (Vernon) of Virginia, brother Scott Wiggins of Colorado, half-sister Vanessa Ostrom of North Carolina, and half-brother Calvin Wiggins of Arizona. Ronda also leaves behind many loving cousins, nieces and nephews, step-siblings, in-laws, many incredible friends, and her sweet rescue dog Patience.

Ronda was preceded in death by her parents, grandparents, half-brother Andrew Wiggins, niece Sorrel Wiggins, many beloved uncles and aunts, cousins, friends, and the father of her children, Dimitry Shreders.

A Celebration of Life ceremony is planned for March 15th, 2025, from 1-4pm at Maceli's (1031 New Hampshire) in downtown Lawrence, Kansas, with interment in St Francis, Kansas. Donations in her honor are accepted at The Transformative Language Arts Network, The Lawrence Humane Society, and The Kansas Land Trust.