Mrs. Bothilda Miller was born in Bredebro, Denmark, being the youngest child in the home.  Her sister, Mrs. Andrew Iverson, came to the United States where she accepted the Seventh-day Adventist teaching, and then returned to Denmark in 1892 with the purpose in mind of sharing the newly-found message with her people.  She presented a Bible to Bothilda, who began an intensive study of the Adventist faith, accepting the doctrines point by point.

In the spring of 1893 Bothilda accompanied her older sister back to the United States, where she was married in 1901.  At one time she was matron of South Lancaster Academy. She took up work with Dr. George Harding in the Iowa Branch Sanitarium in Washington, D. C. in 1905.  She later finished her nurse’s training in the Washington Sanitarium, graduating in the first nursing class.

While in this sanitarium she listened to a series of talks on China given by Dr. H. W. Miller, who had recently returned to this country.  They had the same surname, but they were not relatives.  She then became impressed profoundly that God was calling her to China for service.  She was placed under appointment, and she soon assigned to work in Shanghai in the year 1908.  This city of Shanghai became her center of labor, and from there she went itinerating into the country many miles around.  Although she had a physical handicap, she was undeterred in her activities for heaven, and she was able to win many converts to Jesus Christ.

Bothilda was truly a soul-winner or heaven, and the fruits of her service of thirty-two years of labor in China can never be measured. Although with frailty she gave Bible studies to many, she never complained of her physical condition.  It was her desire to labor in China and be buried in this land of her adoption.

She became a spiritual mother to many youth, and she was a faithful to many of the women in China, where she conducted her Bible studies in the Chinese language.  She went everywhere, preaching the gospel of the kingdom in the homes of the rich as well as in the dwellings of the poor.  One with whom she prayed and studied the Bible was Madame Soong, mother of the famous Soong family.  One of Bothilda’s favorite texts was Daniel 12:3.

In the paper “outlook”, of January, 1921 Mrs. Miller tells this story.  “We find precious metal wherever we go.  As we receive more of the Holy Spirit we shall see yet more wonderful things performed in the life of these precious souls.  At Nansiang, one of our aged sisters walks seven li (2 1/2 miles ) twice every week to the prayer and Sabbath meetings.  She tells me she sometimes sees angels before her as she walks along the road.  As this aged sister cannot read, I doubt not God in His goodness lets her get a glimpse of these heavenly beings.  She surely walks and talks with God.”