John Hershel Miller (1905-1958)

JOHN HERSHEL MILLER was born to Robert William Miller and Dora Ann Callis on 3 March 1905 in Hiwassee, Benton County, Arkansas. He is a twin to James Herbert Miller. He was known as Hershel, but his nickname was Kid because he was the youngest of the twin boys.

In 1924, Hershel 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. 

Before 1940, Hershel married Kathleen B. Miller of Canada, maiden name unknown. They were divorced, but are seen in the 1940 Census as follows: 

8 April 1940 census of Tacoma, Pierce County, WA, found the Miller family living at 146 South G Street. They said that they lived at the same place on 15 April 1935:

John H. Miller 35 AR - Completed 4 years of high school education, Painting contractor

Kathleen B. Miller 29 Canada - Completed 2 years of high school education

 He married Cordell DeLillian Witcher on 29 March 1952. They had no children. Hershel worked as a machinist in Port Heuneme, California.

Hershel died on 29 April 1958 in Ojai, Ventura County, CA. He is buried in the Ivy Lawn Memorial Park in Ventura County, CA.

Memories of Robert William Miller Jr.: "Hershel was a machinist and was working at a place by Oxnard. He got through eating lunch and he had heartburn. A work associate gave him a Tums, put it in his mouth and he fell over dead. 

The twins were out with granddad and Hershel was falling behind as they were walking. Grandpa Callis said - tell the 'kid' to come along. That's how he got his nickname.

The twins were both pretty good guys. Both were in the army for a little while. Kid was in longer than Shine."

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RECORDS

John Hershel Miller

1910 - Garland, Benton, AR

1920 - Garland, Benton, AR

1930 - Angel Island, Marin, CA - military camp

1935 - Tacoma, Pierce, WA

1940 - Tacoma, Pierce, WA

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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

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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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8 April 1930 census of Angel Island, Marin County, CA, found U.S. Army private Hershel Miller in dwelling #62, Sheet 8B. Single, age 25, AR IL AR This was a military camp. The rest of the family were in Ojai, CA.

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8 April 1940 census of Tacoma, Pierce County, WA, found the Miller family living at 146 South G Street. They said that they lived at the same place on 15 April 1935:

John H. Miller 35 AR - Completed 4 years of high school education, Painting contractor

Kathleen B. Miller 29 Canada - Completed 2 years of high school education

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U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 about John H Miller
Name: John H Miller
Gender: Male
Residence Year: 1941
Street address: 3817 S Ainsworth av
Residence Place: Tacoma, Washington
Occupation: Machinist
Spouse: Kathleen B Miller
Publication Title: Tacoma, Washington, City Directory, 1941
Source Information: Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989
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Hershel worked as a machinist in Port Hueneme, CA

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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.

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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