Mr. James H. Miller
Mr. James H. Miller
Mr. James H. Miller
BORN: January 14, 1918
DIED: May 6, 2012
LOCATION: Grinnell, Iowa
James H. Miller, 94, of Grinnell, Iowa, died on Sunday, May 6, 2012, at the Mayflower Health Care Center in Grinnell.
Mass of the Resurrection will be held 11:00 a.m., Thursday, May 10, 2012, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church with the Rev. Nick Adam, pastor of the church, officiating. Music will be provided by Marilyn Kriegel, organist and St. Mary’s Choir. Casket Bearers will be Kelly, Sean, Colby, James and Jerred Miller, Harold “Pee Wee” Moyer and Frank Webster. Honorary Bearers will be Ted Clausen, Frosty Mitchell and Bob Smith. Graveside rites will be conducted by the Grinnell Veterans Ceremonial Unit.
Interment will be at Hazelwood Cemetery with the Smith Funeral Home of Grinnell is charge of arrangements.
Memorials may be directed to the James H. Miller Park and sent in care of the Smith Funeral Home, P.O. Box 368, Grinnell, Iowa 50112.
Friends may call at the Smith Funeral Home beginning 12 noon on Wednesday and the family will be present at the funeral home from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday.
Jim was born on January 14, 1918, in Jamestown, Tennessee to George and Melvinie “Dolly” Blevins Miller. Following the death of his father in 1921 the family moved to Grinnell. He was raised in Grinnell and graduated with the Class of 1936 from Grinnell High School. During World War II he served with the U.S. Army in the European Theatre. Following the war he attended a barber college in Des Moines and returned to Grinnell. He worked as a barber at the former Monroe Hotel in Grinnell.
On December 19, 1947, he was married to Dorothy “Betty” Gardner in Unionville, Missouri. The couple lived in Grinnell and were the parents of five children. In 1960, he opened Miller Barber Shop on Main Street in Grinnell and operated it until 2006. He also worked as a bus driver for the Grinnell-Newburg School District and operated the Speed Queen Laundry on State Street. Following the death of his wife he was married to Fern Buhr on January 7, 2002 in Unionville, Missouri.
Jim was a member of the Grinnell City Council for 32 years and he served on various committees. He was a “voice” for the working class of Grinnell and was instrumental in the conversion of the former Grinnell Middle School building to the current Grinnell Community Center. The City honored his long service to the community with the naming of James H. Miller Park in his memory.
Jim was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church, the American Legion and the Elks Lodge of Grinnell. He enjoyed fishing, hunting, attending horse races, dancing and family vacations.
He is survived by one daughter, Barbara (Frank) Webster of Gilman; three sons, Kelly (Deb) Miller of Galesburg, Iowa, Sean (Nancy) Miller of Grinnell and Colby Miller of Colorado Springs, Colorado; 11 grandchildren; and 20 great grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents; both of his wives; one son, Kyle Miller; and 8 siblings.
