Mary Miller touched many with her generosity, and hundreds of people who gathered Tuesday night in a Lawrence church to pay tribute to her also heard from her husband, the man accused of murdering her.

“She reminded me of the early spring flower,” Martin K. “Marty” Miller wrote in a letter that was read to a crowd that overflowed the sanctuary at Victory Bible Church, 1942 Mass. “Her voice was soft and beautiful.

“I cannot express how deeply it hurts not to be able to say goodbye to my bride,” Marty Miller wrote from the Douglas County Jail, where he is being held on a charge of first-degree murder.

The letter was read aloud by the Rev. Leo Barbee, Victory Bible pastor.

In the letter, Marty Miller didn’t mention the charge against him or specifically refer to his arrest. Instead he focused on his love for Mary, who was 46, and described the first moments he realized he was in love with her.

“I love her as I do my children,” Marty Miller, 45, wrote about his family. He went on to relate how his wife always wanted to help people and described her as his helpmate for 25 years during their marriage.

“We were a team,” he wrote.

Others who spoke during the one-hour celebration of Mary Miller’s life also spoke of her willingness to help others.

One woman praised Mary Miller for providing her with groceries during a time the woman said she was having personal difficulties.

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“She was so kind to do that,” she said. “Her heart was so good.”

Another described how the Millers invited her to live in their home when she had no place to go. “She was a very good friend,” the woman said.

Many in the audience silently shed tears during the testimonials and during prayers and music.

Marty Miller, 45, was arrested July 30, two days after he called for help after claiming to find his wife lying dead in bed in their home at 2105 Carolina St. Police first found no signs of foul play. An autopsy and subsequent investigation, however, led them to arrest Marty Miller. He is being held in lieu $150,000 bond. No trial date has been set.

The Millers, along with their two children, a teenage daughter and son, were known by friends and acquaintances as a deeply religious Christian family. Marty Miller was head of the Veritas Christian School board of directors. His wife was a Kansas University librarian. They also were members of Victory Bible.

“We do not know what happened, and it is best we do not assume something until we hear all the facts,” Barbee said. He also urged those who know the Millers not to make comments about the family to the media.

Donations in Mary Miller’s memory are being accepted for the Miller Children Trust fund and also to Victory Bible, Veritas or the Lawrence Children’s Choir.