Wayne (Moon) Miller 1919-1984

MILLER, OCONNOR, MRACKE, VANDE WATER, KRUSE

Posted By: Sharon Elijah (email)
Date: 4/25/2024 at 07:26:05

2 May 1984 - The Tipton Conservative

Last rites for Wayne Firman (Moon) Miller, 64, will be held at St. Mary's church at 11 a.m. today (May 2) with the Rev. Joseph P. Hines officiating. Burial will be in the Tipton Masonic cemetery. Pallbearers are Tom Spear, Brent Fraseur, Stuart Werling, James Robinson, Max Keller and Bill Stiff. Honorary pallbearers are Fred Moore, Bill Stauss, Bill Green, Peter Narey, Folmer Jensen, Max Werling, Don Young and Otto Kruse. Mary Wethington is organist. Mr. and Mrs. Jack Fraseur and Mr. and Mrs. Don Wehde are in charge of flowers.

Two memorials have been established. The University of Iowa Foundation and the Mercy Hospital Foundation.

Mr. Miller died at University hospital, Tucson, Ariz. April 28.

The son of Walter and Anna Grundy Miller, he was born at Moline, Ill. Dec. 31, 1919. He graduated from Tipton high school in 1938.

He was quarterback of the 1936 and 1937 Tipton high school football teams that lost the first game of the 1936 season to McKinley high school of Cedar Rapids and then won 17 consecutive games. For the 2 years the team scored 365 points to their opponents 33. Miller was named quarterback on Jack North's all-state team of the Des Moines Register and Tribune.

He attended Coe college and graduated from the University of Iowa with a bachelor of science degree in business in 1942. He enlisted in the navy reserve while attending the University of Iowa (Jan. 28, 1942) and was commissioned in the navy March 31, 1943. He was released from active duty Oct. 16, 1945.

He entered service with the "Flying Hawkeyes", a group of Iowa university students, that included many members of the Ironmen of 1939, the legendary Iowa football team with which Miller had a close association.

During World War II he served on the USS Saratoga, an aircraft carrier that saw action in the Pacific. Lt. Miller was in 6 campaigns in the Pacific-Asiatic theatre of operations. He received the purple heart for a shrapnel wound in the neck and was decorated with the Bronze Star.

Mr. Miller was married to Kathleen O'Connor at Iowa City Feb. 7, 1948.

When he returned from navy service he joined his father in the operation of Miller Motor Co.

In May, 1960 he joined the First National Bank and was elected executive vice-president of the bank in June, 1978. He retired from banking in March, 1980. Since ?? he had acted as ?? and built 2 homes in Green Valley, Ariz.

Mr. Miller was a past president of the Tipton Rotary club and was named as Paul Harris Fellow by Rotary, he was a member of Cedar Lodge AF&AM, he was a charter member of the board of directors of Cedar Manor, serving as vice-president. He was a member of the board of directors of the Mercy Hospital (Iowa City) Foundation.

He was a past-president of the University of Iowa Parents association and served on the Eastern Iowa Council of the Boy Scouts of America. He was a past-president of the Tipton Chamber of Commerce and was active in the Tipton Development commission. He was also a director of Associated Bank Corporation, a bank holding corporation.

He served on the board of directors of the Tipton Golf and Country club, was treasurer of the Tipton board of ecucation, a member of AFS and active in bringing foreign students to the Tipton school. He was also a member of the American Legion in Tipton and the Green Valley Elks club.

Mr. Miller is survived by his wife; 3 daughters, Mrs. Jeffrey (Patricia) Mracek, Marietta, Ga.; Mrs. Robert (Susan) Vande Water, Buhl, Idaho and Mrs. David (Sally) Kruse, Tipton; 3 sons, Michael M., Crested Butte, Colo.; James E., Oskaloosa and Thomas W., Tipton; 5 grandchildren and 2 AFS "daughters", Janet Alder Barry, Cardiff, Wales and Teresa Ramos Champalimaud, Lisbon, Portugal.