Miller, C. Keith (1926-1996)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1997 Feb 27 p. 10

Birth date: 1926 Sep 3

text of obituary:

C. KEITH MILLER

C. Keith Miller, 70, of Hesston, Kan., died Dec. 31, 1996, at Newton Medical Center. He was born Sept. 3, 1926, in rural Hesston, the third of four children born to Oliver and Nina (Rodgers) Miller. He lived in the area most of his life.

He graduated from Hesston Academy in 1944 and spent several years in Civilian Public Service. He married Helen Bontrager on June 11, 1949, in Iowa City, Iowa.

He was baptized and became a member of Pennsylvania Mennonite Church, now Whitestone Mennonite Church, of Hesston. He was church treasurer for a number of years. He loved music and was a member of the Whitestone choir and Kansas Mennonite Men's Chorus for about 18 years. He was a member of one of the Sunday school classes that started Mennonite Disaster Service in 1950.

He loved nature, photography, garden, golf, bowling and softball. His occupations included bookkeeping, construction and farming. He was a hog farmer for 20 years on his parents' farm, which he purchased from them in 1977. In later years he used his talents baking at the Breadbasket in Newton, retiring in 1990. In 1989, after a severe heart attack, his health slowly began to deteriorate. He was diagnosed with cancer in October 1996.

He is survived by his wife, Helen; two sons, Douglas and wife Barb of Ephrata, Wash., and Lowell and wife Cheryl of Newton; a daughter, Janine Yoder and husband John of Goshen, Ind.; five grandchildren; two step-grandchildren and a great-grandchild. He was preceded in death by a sister, Neva, who died in infancy.