Joe Miller, 93, went to be with Our Lord and Aileen, his loving wife of 67 years. He passed away Nov. 28, 2010. He was born Dec. 21, 1916 in Dallas County, TX to John and Maria (Michialek) Miller. He was preceded in death by his wife, Aileen (Cornelison) Miller, his parents and nine brothers and sisters, Annie Tulis & husband Bob, Mary Vavra & husband Joe, Charlie Miller & wife Alma, Frank Miller & wife Lula, Joseph, Maria, (both deceased in childhood ), May Garrison & husband James, John Miller & wife Lucille and Lydia Carey & husband Frank.
He is survived by four daughters and two sons: Angie Miller, OKC, Becky Vaughan & husband Doug, OKC, Susan Nott & husband Bart, Brownsville, TX, James Miller & wife Pam, Hope Mills, NC, Paul Miller, Warr Acres, OK, and Janis Miller, Warr Acres, OK; and brother-in-law, Paul Cornelison, of Kerrville, TX.
Joe spent his early years in the downtown area of Dallas before the family moved to Arcadia Park, a suburb of west Dallas. Joe graduated from Sunset H.S. in Dallas. There he met the love of his life, his baby doll as he called her, Aileen. They convinced their pastor to marry them at the age of 18 and had 67 wonderful years together. What an example of how to work through the ups and downs of marriage and family situations they set for their six children, eleven grandchildren, sixteen great grandchildren, many nieces and nephews, grandsons-in-law, granddaughter in-law and great granddaughter in-law.
Joe accepted Jesus as his Savior while living in Dallas. He was an active member of Hampton Place Church of the Nazarene, Dallas, Meridian Park Church of the Nazarene, OKC, and enjoyed his last years at Bethany First Church of the Nazarene. No matter how hard times were financially, Dad always paid his tithes and his family never went hungry. Joes father immigrated from Czechoslovakia, worked in the U.S., then sent for his family in 1906. They arrived in Ellis Island and moved to the Dallas area. His father changed the family name from Dusek to Miller upon immigration. Joe worked in his brother Charlies garage during his teens. He retired as a warehouse foreman and store manager for Western Auto. He was also a cabinet maker. He continued this trade in Bethany, working with his good friend, Vernon Dawson, and working for several OKC area home builders in the trim carpentry trade. After his second retirement, from construction, he continued to work at Leonhardts Big L Lumber. He enjoyed helping people. Honesty and integrity were very important to him.
Unable to serve in the service during WWII due to a childhood injury, he worked at the North American airplane factory in Dallas during the war. He was proud to be able to make the airplanes that were sent to battle. He loved golf and enjoyed playing with his sons and grandsons.
A special thanks to Margaret Dawson for visiting him each week at the nursing center. What a friend to take the time and bring him the information from church.
We know he is at peace in heaven with Mom. Services will be Wed., Dec. 1, 10:00am at Mercer-Adams Chapel with interment in Bethany Cemetery.