In 1924, Don moved with the family from Arkansas to California. He was 12 years old. The John Miller and Robert Miller families all went to California together, leaving from Southwest City, Missouri and traveling through Oklahoma, Kansas and eventually Oregon. They finally arrived nearby to Crescent City, Del Norte County, California and shortly thereafter moved to Ojai in Southern California.
Don's first marriage was short-lived and name is unknown. Don married Cliva Maxine Wolfe on 20 May 1934. As a note of interest, the Wolfe family was shown to be living nearby the Miller family residence in the 1920 census of Garland, Benton County, AR.
Don and Maxine were the biological parents of Kevin Kennedy Miller who was born and died in 1950 in Yakima, Yakima Co., Washington. They then adopted two children, Karen Sue Miller and Phillip Kendall Miller.
From the 1980 Miller Family Reunion booklet it says: Don was a service station owner and operator. His nickname was Deemer. Maxine is a bookkeeper for the Village Florist in Ojai. Her nickname is Toots.
Memories of Don by his brother, Robert William Miller Jr.: "Don used to drink quite a bit. Toots said he came home drunk as could be, picked up the baby and was crying. Said - 'I'll never drink another drop as long as I live.' He never did.
Don was a big shot in the Masonic Lodge. If he would have lived a little bit longer, he would have been a 33rd Degree Mason. He was a Royal Commander in the high court of Scottish rights, just a little below a 33rd Degree Mason. (President Truman was a 33rd Degree Mason). Don had a service station in Ojai. He was getting ready to go to work, started putting his shoes on and thought he was having a heart attack. Told Maxine to call an ambulance, but he was dead on arrival at the hospital.
Aunt Maxine was close to my sisters. Her last name was Wolfe. She was a real nice, good person."
Don died on 30 January 1969 in Ojai, Ventura Co., California. He was 56 years old. He is buried in the Ivy Lawn Memorial Park in Ventura Co., California.
OBITUARY - Donald Miller
Donald Miller, Active Service Club Member
Donald Robert Miller, 57, prominent in Ojai and Ventura service club affairs, died yesterday in Ojai hospital after a sudden illness.
Born in Centerton, Ark., on Aug., 30, 1912, Mr. Miller had lived in Ventura County since 1935. At the time of his death his home address was 1402 Daly Road, Ojai.
Mr. Miller, a retired service station owner, was installed as First Vice President of the Ventura Shrine Club on Feb. 14. He was a Past Master and member of the Ojai Masonic Lodge, a member of the Al Malaikah Shrine of Los Angeles, a Past President of the Scottish Rite Club of Ventura, and a holder of the White Honor Key in DeMolay for organizing the Ojai chapter of DeMolay.
Miller was also a member of the National Sheriff's Association and an Elder of the First Christian Church of Ojai.
Miller is survived by his wife, Maxine; a son, Phillip Miller of Ojai; a daughter, Mrs. Karen Stiefel, Ojai; sisters, Mrs. Margaret Catterlin, Mrs. Ruth Cornine of Ojai and Mrs. Maxine Mason of Garberville; brothers, Herbert Miller, Santa Ana, Dick Miller, Bentonville, Arkansas, Robert Miller of La Puente; and a grandchild, Bryan Stiefel of Ojai.
Funeral Services will be held on Saturday at 10 a.m. in the Clausen Funeral Home, Ojai. The Rev. Paul Redmond, the Rev. Harris Wood and the Ojai Lodge 663 F and AM will conduct the services. Burial will follow at Ivy Lawn Memorial Park, Ventura.
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RECORDSDonald Robert Miller
1920 - Garland, Benton, AR
1930 - Ojai, Ventura, CA - Gardner in a private home
1935 - Benton, AR
1940 - Ojai, Ventura, CA - Salesman, feed
1950 - Yakima, Yakima, WA
1955 - Ojai, Ventura, CA
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23 Jan 1920 census of Garland, Benton County, AR, found the Miller family living in dwelling #50 on Fourth Street:
R. W. Miller 40 IL IL IN Salesman - H.W.D.
Dora 36 AR AR TN
Hurbert 14 AR IL AR Twin
Herschell 14 AR IL AR Twin
Maggie 12 AR IL AR
Dick 9 AR IL AR
Donald 7 AR IL AR
Maxine 3 AR IL AR
Ruth 1 6/12 AR IL AR
Blanche Pitts 13 IL IL AR Niece
J. D. Miller 80 IL OH IL Father, Widowed
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Mildred Miller said that the John Miller and Robert Miller families all went to California together, leaving from Southwest City, MO, and traveling through Oklahoma, Kansas and eventually Oregon. They finally arrived in California in August of 1924. She said that Louoma's mother was a Callis, as was Robert Miller's wife.
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26 April 1930 census of District 19, Ojai, Ventura County, CA, found the Miller family living in dwelling #344. Robert and Dora said that they were first married at ages 23 and 19 respectively. Living nearby were Dora's father, John H. Callis (76) and brothers Claude (40) and George (45) and their families:
Robert W. Miller 50 IL IL IN Operator - Service station
Dora 46 AR AR TN
Herbert 26 AR IL AR Rancher - Fruit ranch
Dick 20 AR IL AR Rancher - Fruit ranch
Donald 18 AR Il AR Gardener - Private home
Maxine 14 AR Il AR
Ruth 12 AR IL AR
R. W. 9 AR IL AR
J. K. 5 AR IL AR
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9 April 1940 census of Centerton, Benton County, AR, found the Miller family living in dwelling #43. They said that they both lived in Benton County, AR, on 1 April 1935:
Donald Miller 27 AR - Completed 2 years of high school education, Salesman - Feed
Maxine Miller 25 OK - Completed 3 years of high school education
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Social Security Death Index about Donald Miller
Name: Donald Miller
SSN: 560-07-5696
Born: 30 Aug 1912
Died: Jan 1969
State (Year) SSN issued: California (Before 1951)
Source Citation: Number: 560-07-5696; Issue State: California; Issue Date: Before 1951.
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California, Death Index, 1940-1997 about Donald R Miller
Name: Donald R Miller
Social Security #: 560075696
Gender: Male
Birth Date: 30 Aug 1912
Birth Place: Arkansas
Death Date: 30 Jan 1969
Death Place: Ventura
Mother's Maiden Name: Callis
Source Citation: Place: Ventura; Date: 30 Jan 1969; Social Security: 560075696.
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THE TRIP TO CALIFORNIA (as remembered by Maxine Miller Mason and written by Margot Mason Stockstill)On August 1, 1924, the family left Benton County, Arkansas, and headed for a ranch near Crescent City in Northern California that Robert's uncle and namesake, Robert William Miller, had given him. Mimi had only been out of Benton County once and then only a few miles into Oklahoma.
There were 24 people and a collie named Socrates in the moving party packed into a new Maxwell, a Ford, a Buick and a Ford Truck. They were: Mimi and Robert, Herbert and Hershel, Blanche, Margaret, Don, Dick, Maxine, Ruth, Bill, JK (just 7 weeks old), Uncle John Miller (Robert's brother) and his wife Aunt Dove and their 5 girls, Mimi's brother Uncle Claude Callis, Aunt Arthula and their son Louis, Mimi's father John Hamilton Callis, who was 64 years old, and Cora Nichols, Mimi's twin.
The first stop was Grove, Oklahoma, at Mimi's brother Uncle Clark's home. Aunt Cora only went that far. Uncle Clark had a big going away party for the family. Each night while traveling they stayed in campgrounds. The women would wash clothes and the men would work on the cars and truck.
In Colorado there was an inspection stop for boll weevils so the family had to empty all their boxes. the Rocky Mountains were too big for Robert so his sons Herbert and Hershel drove. The family drove down through Oregon and reached Crescent City on Don's birthday, August 30th. The trip had taken 30 days. When they first saw the Pacific Ocean Mimi said,"I think we've come too far."
On their new ranch they lived in tents. The children had fun playing in the river but Socrates, the collie, got ahold of a dead salmon and died. They wouldn't let Grandad (John Hamilton) Callis play his fiddle for fear it would attract bears and Indians.
In September it was time for school so the family moved into town. Uncle John Miller took his family to Smith River. That winter Uncle John's youngest girl died, their house and car burned, but they stayed on in Smith River. There was a hurricane which ruined part of Crescent City. Mimi was sick all winter because the damp weather caused her to have rheumatism. Uncle Claude and Aunt Arthula left Crescent City and moved to Ojai, writing back about the warm and beautiful valley.
As soon as school was out in 1925 the Millers headed south, stopped in Suisun and leased a ranch with apricots and peaches. Mimi always said that that was one of the happiest years of her life. Robert took Hershel and Margaret to Ojai and liked it so well they decided to move down in the Fall of 1926.
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SOURCES
Refer to www.miller.info/genealogy, Memories of Robert William Miller Jr., 1980 Miller Family Reunion booklet compiled by Margot Mason Stockstill, family records and research.
Find A Grave Memorial
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