He went by Herbert, but his nicknames were Shine and Jerry.
In 1924, Herbert moved with the family from Arkansas to California. He was 19 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.
Hubert was a private in the US Army. He worked a foreman for the California State Highways.
According to family pedigree charts, James was married and divorced from Kay. On 9 November 1931, James married Alice Lynn Byars. They were the parents of two girls, Valerie Jean Miller and Kathleen Ann Miller.
Memories of Herbert by Robert William Miller Jr.: "As for the Shine nickname, certain family members were at the movie theater where colored people were only allowed to sit in the balcony. At this time, Herbert was sitting in the balcony with nobody else around. He was made to move, but they called him Moonshine for a while, then it went to Shine. (I can only imagine this was a bunch a boys at the theater!)
Herbert and Lynn (Alice) were living in Texas at the time of his death and they had been in Ojai for Mimi and Aunt Cora’s 90th birthday. He and Lynn drove back to Texas and stayed the night in Clovis, New Mexico, as they couldn’t make the drive in one day. Lynn woke up that next morning and said they needed to go because they had a long way to go and Herbert was dead in the bed. As the California family were driving to Texas for Herbert's funeral, driving in Ruth’s new Buick - they stopped by the hotel to make sure everything was fine and had been paid for."
Herbert passed away on 30 September 1973 in Clovis, Curry County, NM and is buried in the Hillcrest Garden Of Memory Cemetery, Hillsboro, Hill County, TX.
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OBITUARY - October 1, 1973
Clovis News-Journal from Clovis, New Mexico · Page 2
James H, Miller
Funeral services for James Herbert Miller, 68, of Hillsboro, Tex. are pending at Steed-Todd Funeral Home. Mr. Miller was dead on arrival at Clovis Memorial Hospital Saturday night the victim of an apparent heart attack. Mr. Miller was staying over night in Clovis at the time of his death. He is survived by his wife Alice, of Hillsboro, Tex. The body will be transferred.
http://www.newspapers.com/newspage/7242675/
Herbert and Lynn (Alice) were living in Texas at the time of his death and they had been in Ojai for Mimi and Aunt Cora’s 90th birthday. He and Lynn drove back to Texas and stayed the night in Clovis, New Mexico, as they couldn’t make the drive in one day. Lynn woke up that next morning and said they needed to go because they had a long way to go and Herbert was dead in the bed. As the California family were driving to Texas for Herbert's funeral, driving in Ruth’s new Buick - they stopped by the hotel to make sure everything was fine and had been paid for."
Herbert passed away on 30 September 1973 in Clovis, Curry County, NM and is buried in the Hillcrest Garden Of Memory Cemetery, Hillsboro, Hill County, TX.
--------------------
OBITUARY - October 1, 1973
Clovis News-Journal from Clovis, New Mexico · Page 2
James H, Miller
Funeral services for James Herbert Miller, 68, of Hillsboro, Tex. are pending at Steed-Todd Funeral Home. Mr. Miller was dead on arrival at Clovis Memorial Hospital Saturday night the victim of an apparent heart attack. Mr. Miller was staying over night in Clovis at the time of his death. He is survived by his wife Alice, of Hillsboro, Tex. The body will be transferred.
http://www.newspapers.com/newspage/7242675/
___________________________________________________
RECORDS
James Herbert Miller
1910 - Garland, Benton, AR
1920 - Garland, Benton, AR
1930 - Ojai, Ventura, CA
1935 - Hollywood, Los Angeles, CA
1940 - Downieville, Sierra, CA
--------------------
18 April 1910 census of Garland, Benton county, AR, found the Miller family living in dwelling #32. Robert and Dora said that they had been married 7 years and 4 of their 5 children were still living:
Robert W. Miller 30 IL IL IL Farmer
Dora N. 26 AR AR TN
Herbert J. 5 AR IL AR
Hershell J. 5 AR IL AR
Maggie C. 2 AR IL AR
Unnamed son 0/12 AR IL AR
--------------------
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
--------------------
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.
--------------------
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
--------------------
8 April 1940 census of Downieville, Sierra County, CA, found the Miller family living at 106 Commercial Street. They said that they lived in Hollywood, Los Angeles County, CA, on 15 April 1935:
Hebert Miller 35 AR - Completed 4 years of high school education, Miner - Gold mines, Earned $455 in past year
Alice L. Miller 35 GA - Completed 4 years of high school education
Valerie J. Miller 4 CA
Catleen A. Miller 2 CA
--------------------
Herbert Worked as a foreman for California State Highways.
--------------------
Social Security Death Index about James Miller
Name: James Miller
SSN: 560-05-9259
Last Residence: 76645 Hillsboro, Hill, Texas, United States of America
Born: 3 Mar 1905
Died: Sep 1973
State (Year) SSN issued: California (Before 1951)
Source Citation: Number: 560-05-9259; Issue State: California; Issue Date: Before 1951.
--------------------
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.
RECORDS
James Herbert Miller
1910 - Garland, Benton, AR
1920 - Garland, Benton, AR
1930 - Ojai, Ventura, CA
1935 - Hollywood, Los Angeles, CA
1940 - Downieville, Sierra, CA
--------------------
18 April 1910 census of Garland, Benton county, AR, found the Miller family living in dwelling #32. Robert and Dora said that they had been married 7 years and 4 of their 5 children were still living:
Robert W. Miller 30 IL IL IL Farmer
Dora N. 26 AR AR TN
Herbert J. 5 AR IL AR
Hershell J. 5 AR IL AR
Maggie C. 2 AR IL AR
Unnamed son 0/12 AR IL AR
--------------------
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
--------------------
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.
--------------------
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
--------------------
8 April 1940 census of Downieville, Sierra County, CA, found the Miller family living at 106 Commercial Street. They said that they lived in Hollywood, Los Angeles County, CA, on 15 April 1935:
Hebert Miller 35 AR - Completed 4 years of high school education, Miner - Gold mines, Earned $455 in past year
Alice L. Miller 35 GA - Completed 4 years of high school education
Valerie J. Miller 4 CA
Catleen A. Miller 2 CA
--------------------
Herbert Worked as a foreman for California State Highways.
--------------------
Social Security Death Index about James Miller
Name: James Miller
SSN: 560-05-9259
Last Residence: 76645 Hillsboro, Hill, Texas, United States of America
Born: 3 Mar 1905
Died: Sep 1973
State (Year) SSN issued: California (Before 1951)
Source Citation: Number: 560-05-9259; Issue State: California; Issue Date: Before 1951.
--------------------
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.
SOURCES
Refer to www.millerinfo.net/genealogy, Memories of Robert William Miller Jr., Miller Family Reunion booklet compiled by Margot Mason Stockstill, family records and research.
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