Bluffton native James Franklin Miller, Sr. died Oct. 14, 2012 at age 93 at his home in Mission, Texas.
He was born on Nov. 20, 1918 in Bluffton, Ohio, to Charles and Bertha Miller. The youngest of five children, he was their only boy. Jim graduated from high school and entered Bluffton College at age 16.
During his college years, he participated in a wide variety of activities and earned varsity letters in football and baseball each of his four years at the school. In 1939, he received his Bachelor of Arts degree and, years later - after distinguishing himself as a college student, businessman and community leader - he was inducted in 1982 into the Bluffton College Athletics Hall of Fame for "outstanding performances in football, baseball and for significant meritorious community services in Mission, Texas."
He married Esther Ramseyer of Smithville, Ohio, on June 1, 1941. Jim coached high school football in Ohio until he entered the U.S. Coast Guard as an Ensign shortly after the beginning of WW II. After the conclusion of the war in 1945, he was honorably discharged as a Senior Lieutenant.
In January 1946, the couple moved to Mission, Texas, where he was hired by the Mission School District to be the head football coach for the Mission Eagles, a position he held until 1948.
He left his coaching career to become the Business Manager of Valley Vocational Schools, a conglomeration of vocational schools for WW II veterans throughout the Valley.In 1952, Jim joined Tide Products in Edinburg, Texas, where he served as Vice President of Marketing for 30 years and helped build it into one of the largest agricultural chemical companies in the southern region of the United States.
Jim was elected mayor of Mission in 1970 and served in that position until 1973. An active member of the Mission Lions Club for more than 60 years, he was its president in 1951-52. He received some of the Lions' highest awards, including the Lions Club Life Membership in recognition of outstanding service as a Lion. He was named a Texas Lions Foundation Fellow, honoring outstanding contributions to the foundation, and a Jack Wiech Fellow, for dedicated service to the children of the Texas Lions Camp.
He was also awarded the coveted title of Melvin Jones Fellow for dedicated humanitarian services in the Lions Club International Foundation. His fellow citizens of Mission recognized his many civic contributions by selecting him as "Man of the Year" in 1951 and "Mr. Mission" in 1983.
Jim is survived by his wife of 71 years, Esther, and their five children: Linda (Jack) Nickel of Spring, Texas; Dr. Jim (Terry) Miller of Mission; John (Susie) Miller of McAllen; Kathy (Jim) Bledsoe of Mission; and David (Julie) Miller of Houston.
He is also survived by his grandchildren, who were the joy of his life, Lisa (Jason) Chahin, Jim (Kristi) Nickel, Lee (Brett) Garner, Laurie (Justin) Shults, Amanda (John) Fleming, Greg Miller, Jeff (Lesley) Miller, Natalie (Grant) Mueller, Tara Connell (Vince Abrego), Tasha (Brent) Kaz, Laura (John) Ralbovsky, Lisa (Ross) McLaren, Allison Miller, Davis Miller and Meredith Miller; 23 great-grandchildren, whom he adored; and his dear sister, Christine Wenger of Plano, Texas.
He was preceded in death by his parents and three sisters, Kathleen Wenger, Margaret Brauen and Jane Baker.
Visitors will be received from 6:30 until 8:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 19 at Kreidler Funeral Home in McAllen. A memorial service will be held at the First United Methodist Church of Mission at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 20, 2012 followed by a private family graveside service at Valley Memorial Gardens.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests gifts to the Memorial Fund of the First United Methodist Church of Mission, 1101 Doherty, Mission, TX 78572 or to the charity of your choice . Kreidlerfuneralhome.com Sign the guest book at www.themonitor.com/obituaries
