Beckham County, OK - Obits: John Alexander Miller, 1925 31 August 2008 Submitted by: delma25@pldi.net (Delma Tindell) ********************************************************************* USGENWEB NOTICE Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ********************************************************************* JOHN ALEXANDER MILLER (17 Dec 1925, Elk City News Democrat, Elk City, Beckham Co, OK): Brother John Alexander Miller was born near Springfield, Illinois on February 26, 1838 and passed to his glorious reward from Elk City, Oklahoma, on December 11, 1925, being 87 years, 10 months and 24 days old. When he was two years old his parents moved from Illinois to Platt County, Missouri, where he grew to manhood. In 1857 he was married to Mrs. Lucretia Francis Lynch, who was the mother of I. F. Lynch. This boy was cared for as tenderly by Bro. Miller as he cared for any of his own children. There were four children born during the years of his first marriage. They are Mrs. W. C. Oniell, of Winchester, Kansas; J. G. Miller of Sayre, Oklahoma; Archibald M. Miller, who passed away at Hortonville, Kansas, in 1907; and Thomas J. Miller who passed to his reward from Elk City eight years ago last Easter. These children are the parents of 27 children and the grandparents of 34 children. Thus Bro. Miller had 27 grand-children and 34 great-grandchildren. The colony, of which his folks were a part, that went from Illinois to Missouri, built among the first buildings in the new community. In 1863 Br. Miller moved with his family from Missouri to Kansas and over a period of several years made his home in Leavenworth, Jefferson and Atchison Counties. During the Civil War he was a member of the Home Guard of the Kansas Militia. When the strip was opened in Oklahoma Bro. Miller was one of the many to make the run. He settled for a while in the eastern part of the State. He returned to Kansas for several years then came to Elk City community in 1908. During the 18 years spent among us he has been affectionately known as Grandpa Miller. Several years after the death of his first wife, Bro. Miller, at the age of sixty, felt drawn to one whom he believed could happily share the remaining years of life, so in 1898 at Pardel, Kansas, he was united in marriage to Miss Ada N. Eastman. She was cordially received by his family and has proved herself a wonderful companion to him and a mother in every sense of the word to the children of her adopted home. During his last illness he received every attention from relatives, friends and neighbors. His two children, Mrs. W. C. O'Niel and J. G. Miller, also a number of his grand and great grandchildren were with him during the last days. The outstanding feature of Bro. Miller's life was his faith in God and the corresponding Christian activity. Bro. Miller recently attended the International convention of the Christian church at Oklahoma City. The ambition of a life time was gratified and he expressed the thought that his presence there was a fitting end for his life, and we made all arrangements accordingly. Since his return from Oklahoma City he never was permitted to be in attendance at a local church service. He has been an elder of the church for more than fifty years. --------------------------------------------------- Return to Beckham County Archives: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/beckham/beckham.html