Well, let me tell ya ’bout this Sydell Miller woman. I heard she kicked the bucket, poor thing. They say she was 86 years young, lived a good long life, I reckon. Folks called her a “groundbreaking entrepreneur”, fancy words for someone who worked real hard, I guess. And a “loving family matriarch,” which just means she loved her family, like any good mama should.
Sydell Miller, that’s the name they kept sayin’. They say she and her husband, Arnold, they made a big splash in the beauty business. You know, hair and makeup and all that fancy stuff. They started this company, Matrix, they called it. Sounded important, like somethin’ out of a movie. I heard tell it was a big deal, helped folks learn new tricks in the beauty shops.
- Seems they helped them hairdressers get better at their job,
- gave ’em new things to use,
- and made ’em feel proud of their work.
That’s what I heard, anyhow. Don’t know nothin’ ’bout it myself, never been one for fancy hairdos or makeup. Just a bit of soap and water is good enough for me. But from what I gather, this Sydell gal, she knew her stuff.
Folks are sayin’ she was a real go-getter. Started from nothin’, probably, and built somethin’ big. That’s what they mean by “self-made” I reckon. Like growin’ a prize-winning pumpkin from a tiny seed, but for business instead of vegetables. She also had this other company called Ardell, somethin’ to do with eyelashes, they say. Lord knows why a woman needs fake eyelashes, but I guess some folks like that kinda thing.
Now, they’re also callin’ her a “generous philanthropist.” That just means she gave away some of her money, helped folks out. Good for her, I say. Money ain’t worth nothin’ if you don’t use it to do some good in the world. They say she liked pretty things, too. “A pursuer of beauty in all its forms,” they said. Guess that means she liked pretty flowers, pretty pictures, and maybe even pretty dresses. Can’t fault her for that, I suppose. Everyone likes somethin’ pretty to look at.
Her daughters, Lauren and Stacie, they said they used to go to auctions and fairs with her. Said she’d find all sorts of “hidden treasures” there. Sounds like she was a collector, liked old things maybe. Reminds me of my cousin Martha, always pickin’ up knick-knacks at the flea market. Said she was gonna be rich one day sellin’ ’em. Never happened, though.
They say this Sydell woman died peaceful at home, surrounded by her loved ones. That’s a good way to go, I reckon. Better than dyin’ alone in some hospital bed. She was born in 1937 and died in 2024, so she saw a lot of changes in her time. Cars went from lookin’ like boxes to lookin’ like spaceships, and folks started carryin’ around them little phones that can do just about anything. Imagine that!
Obituary, they call it, when they write about someone who died. Guess it’s a way of rememberin’ them, tellin’ their story. This Sydell Miller, she sounds like she was quite a woman. Worked hard, loved her family, gave back to her community, and appreciated the finer things in life. Can’t ask for much more than that, can ya? They say she was from Cleveland Heights, wherever that is. And she had a big fancy house in Palm Beach, too. From Ohio to Florida, that’s quite a ways. She must have done alright for herself, this Sydell Miller. God rest her soul.
So, that’s the gist of it, as far as I can tell. Sydell Miller, a woman who made her mark on the world, one way or another. May she rest in peace. And maybe those hairdressers she helped out will remember her kindly, every time they pick up a pair of scissors or a bottle of hair dye.
