Grandpa Miller

My Grandpa Miller passed away a couple of weeks ago, and I wanted to record a few favorite memories with him:  

• He always had a smile and a hug for our whole family each Sunday at church
• He was very proud of all of us
• Before I left for college, he brought me a beautiful, engraved study Bible
• When I was in junior high, he took me and one of my best friends to The Covered Bridge Festival
• He took me back to school shopping once and got me the coolest tennis shoes I ever had
• We used to watch Mary Poppins at his house on a laser disc player
• He was a cop in Catlin when I was little, and he would sit running radar right by our house, in front of the HS and we'd go over and talk to him
• He immediately loved Josh and loved to talk Cubs with him.  He gradually passed on lots of his Cubs memorabilia to him and my brother Phil.
• He always had advice, like when he told our friend Mike to stand closer to the razor next time he preached and he told my husband, who is about 2% body fat, that he was getting a belly.  He was actually notorious for pointing out people's weight issues, but when he called out Josh, we knew we were all doomed!  It just made us laugh though because old people say what they want.... 
• He got up to read his Bible every day at 4 a.m. 
• One time when Josh and I were desperate for a 4th grade Sunday School teacher (and we had called every single person in the church we could think of), he volunteered to teach for a few months.  I think he was the most serious SS teacher our grade school program has ever seen, but it makes me smile that he was willing when no one else was.
• He always brought my mom, sisters, and I our own box of chocolates on Valentine's Day.
• He wasn't able to get everyone Christmas gifts every year (we have a BIG family!), but in 2002 (I believe), he worked extra hard to get each person something extra special.  He got me a set of 10 C.S. Lewis books that I will always keep!

His obituary:

James Gordon Miller, 83, of Danville, passed away at 7:50 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 2, 2014, at Presence United Samaritans Medical Center.

Jim was born Dec. 29, 1930, in Danville, the son of Orin and Mildred (Lewis) Miller. He married Clara David in February 1950, with whom he had five children before divorcing. He married Janet Reeves in July 1976 and later divorced.

Survivors include four daughters, Janice Cole of Millersville, Tenn., Cheryl (Steve) Stanis of Oakwood, Cathy Miller of Nashville, Tenn., and Judy (Lindsey) Gero of Antioch, Tenn.; one son, James Miller Jr. of Danville; two step-daughters, Teresa (Ed) Sudlow of Catlin, and Mary (Mike) Bromley of Catlin; one step-son, Art (Linda) Reeves of Danville; 15 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; and one brother, Robert (Marie) Miller of Arizona.

Jim was preceded in death by his parents and one granddaughter, Kimberly Haton.

Jim was a member of the Catlin Church of Christ. He attended the United  States Military Academy at West Point and graduated from Eastern Illinois University. He was a Printer at R & S and at the Commercial-News. He went on to be a school teacher, a Vermilion County Sheriff’s Deputy, and a part-time Catlin Police Officer, before finishing his career as a printer at Parkland College in Champaign, retiring at the age of 75.

Jim loved to spend time with his kids and step kids and all the grandkids and great grandkids.

A celebration of Jim’s life will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 9, 2014, at Sunset Funeral Home and Cremation Center, A Life Celebration Home, in Danville, with Chuck Davis and Darren Johnson officiating. Visitation will be at the funeral home from 4-7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 8. Please join Jim’s family in sharing photos, video and memories of him through his tribute wall at www.sunsetfuneralhome.com.