Arthur W. (Roundy) Miller's Obituary
Arthur Wallace “Roundy” Miller of Fredonia passed away May 29, 2015 at Fredonia Regional Hospital. He was 96. He was born January 11, 1919 on the family farm in Dunlap, Lyon County, Kansas, the tenth of 13 children of Benjamin Arthur Miller and Samantha Ennis Sheets.
Arthur graduated from Dunlap High School in 1936. He and a friend rode the freight trains to California, and ended up in the Santa Maria area. While in California, Arthur enrolled in Santa Maria Junior College. Arthur enlisted in the U.S. Navy in September 1941 and served in the Pacific Theater in World War II as a Pharmacists Mate First Class and as a Second Class Hospital Corpsman. He made the invasions of Guadalcanal, Guam and Vella Lavella. He was honorably discharged in December 1945.
Arthur enrolled at Kansas State College, now KSU, and was then recalled to the Navy, where he served two years aboard the aircraft carrier USS Saipan in Guantanamo Bay and in Mediterranean Sea during the Korean War. He was finally discharged in 1952. He received his bachelor’s degree in Agronomy in 1955 from Kansas State College.
Arthur was a district conservationist for the Soil Conservation Service and retired in 1974. He then worked as agricultural representative for the First National Bank in Fredonia from 1974 to 1994.
Arthur was married to Patricia Ann Vaughn on Friday, June 13, 1958 in Eureka, Kansas.
Arthur served on the Fredonia School Board in the 1970s. He was a member of the National Association of Retired Federal Employees, Lions Club and First Christian Church, and a lifetime member of the VFW. He worked with Boy Scouts and was active in southeast Kansas agricultural activities.
Arthur and Patricia wintered in Arizona for several years after his retirement. He loved to play softball, and played in three Senior Citizen World Series tournaments in Arizona, Kansas City and Des Moines. He played short stop and was the designated runner. He would substitute out once a runner reached first base. Nicknamed by one umpire as “Twinkletoes,” he once ran in 22 runs in one game. He last played organized softball at age 84. He also loved roller skating, fishing, watching any type of ball game, and attending his daughter’s and grandchildren’s activities.
Arthur was a stanch advocate of Higher Education and thought everyone should go to college and contribute to society. Financially, he helped many young people with their educations and advanced degrees.
Arthur Wallace Miller was preceded in death by his parents, Benjamin Miller and Samantha Ennis Sheets Miller; his sisters, Veada, Lola Jane, Sallie, Ruth, Evelyn and Bessie; and his brothers, Bower, Floyd, Frank, Nelson and Jim.
He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Patricia, of the home; his daughters, Barbara Steele and her children, Evan and Hannah of Raytown, Missouri; Melissa Miller and Andy Smith, her son Gage and his daughter Samantha, of Burlingame, Kansas ; Jennifer Miller-Cain, her husband Rob and his children, Gabriel and Megan of Smithville, Missouri; his older sister, Brucie Stevenson of Salina; and sisters-in-law Nan Miller of Prescott, Arizona and Mary Leean of Branson, Missouri.
Visitation will be Wednesday, June 3 from 4 to 6 pm at Countryside Funeral Home in Fredonia. A Celebration of Life will be held on Thursday, June 4 at 10:00 am at First Christian Church in Fredonia, with burial following at 2:30 pm at Dunlap Cemetery in Dunlap, Kansas. Online condolences may be left at www.countrysidefh.com In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations to the Wilson County Fair Association, and may be left with or mailed to the funeral home. Services entrusted to Countryside Funeral Home 420 S. 20th St., P.O. Box 247, Fredonia, KS 66736
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