Guy Benjamin Miller, Jr.

Guy Benjamin Miller, Jr. was born May 12, 1922 in Phillipsburg, Kansas. He was the son of Olive Sylvia (Wallace) and Guy Benjamin Miller Sr. Guy was raised and attended school in Phillipsburg. At the age of twelve Guy became the man of the family farm when his father passed away. He continued to attend school and graduated from Phillipsburg High School in 1940, although he worked on the farm in the mornings and nights. Upon graduation, Guy continued to assist in the daily operation of the family farm until he was drafted into the United States Army Air Corp.

While attending clerical training in the Army Air Corp, Guy met Dorothea while he was returning to a dormitory on the campus of Oklahoma A&M. Dorothea and a friend were playing tennis and Guy retrieved an errant ball for them and the couple have been going out ever since.

Staff Sergeant Miller was then transferred overseas as part of the war effort and proposed to Dorothea in a letter while in Europe. Upon his return from his overseas assignment, Guy and Dorothea were married on July 7, 1945 in Elk City, Oklahoma. After a short honeymoon in South Bend, Indiana, where Guy was processed for discharge from military service, the couple moved to Hominy, Oklahoma and established their home.

Dorothea was employed as a teacher for the Hominy Public Schools and Guy immediately accepted employment with Cal Newport Chevrolet as an automobile salesman and later worked for Bill Walls. He was recognized on numerous occasions as one of the top salesmen in the area. He received several diamond pins as awards for his salesmanship and later had these pins made into a ring for his wife, Dorothea.

Guy then established his own business in Hominy, Guy Miller Used Car Sales, located in the Old Marland Service Station. He operated this business for many years until 1988 when he retired and donated the building to the Heritage Foundation for their use.

Upon his retirement the couple traveled extensively all over the world including two trips to Europe, China, Greece. Germany and Canada. Additionally, they traveled over much of the United States.

Guy was a member of the First Presbyterian Church in Hominy where he has served as both an elder and deacon. He was also a member of the Hominy Post of the American Legion for many years. He was an excellent automobile mechanic and enjoyed working on cars and all types of machinery. He was also intrigued by the stock market and it's investment opportunities and spent countless hours managing his portfolio.

It was often said that Guy enjoyed everything that he did, learned from what he did, and remembered everything he learned. He most of all enjoyed spending time with his family including his children and grandchildren. It was important to him that his grandchildren remember him so he enjoyed all the time he spent with them. He liked to take them to the toy store and let them pick out anything they wanted. He loved people and enjoyed spending time visiting and talking with them. He enjoyed badgering with the waitresses at the Hickory House and giving them a hard time. He also loved animals and had a squirrel in his backyard that would accept food from his hand. He will be remembered as an honest and gracious man by all that knew him.

Guy passed away on Thursday, July 27, 2006 at the Saint Francis Hospital in Tulsa at the age of eighty-four years, two months and fifteen days. He was preceded in death by his parents.

Guy is survived by his wife of sixty-one years, Dorothea of the home; two daughters and their husbands, Carol Ann and Robert G. Griffin of Lucas, Texas, Linda and David Blake, of Cleveland, Oklahoma; seven grandchildren, Michael Griffin, James Griffin, Robert Griffin, Jessica Griffin, Victoria Griffin, Thomas Griffin, and Ian Blake; two great grandchildren, Madeline Griffin and Jacob Blake; two sisters, Arlene Hoover of Phillipsburg, Kansas and Sylvia Usrey of Sierra Vista, Arizona; and a brother, James Miller of Phillipsburg, Kansas; numerous other friends and family to mourn his passing.

Funeral services will be held at 10:00 am, Tuesday, August 1, 2006 at the Chapel of the Chapman-Black Funeral Home with Kathryn Ramsey officiating. Burial will be at the Woodland Cemetery under the direction of the Chapman-Black Funeral Home in Cleveland.

Visit an online obituary and guestbook for Guy B. Miller at www.chapman-black.com.