Courtesy Photo | (PHOTO BY KEN HOLT) Surrounded by his children, 100-year-old Army Veteran James Miller...... read more read more
Story by Jennifer Scales
Photos by Ken Holt
Columbia VA Health Care System Public Affairs and Medical Media
Bread was nine cents a loaf; a first-class stamp dropped to two cents; and the top three most popular boys’ names were John, William and James.
On April 1, 1919 in Springfield, S.C., the world welcomed James Samuel Miller, who eventually became an Army Air Corps Veteran, and is now a delightful 100-year-old patient residing in the Community Living Center at the Columbia VA Health Care System.
Miller’s family expanded to include nine other siblings.
As he grew into a young man himself, he settled down and married Addie Mae Miller. From their union, ten children consisting of Vernese, James, Charles, Beverly, Eunice, Mary, Michael, Addie, Sandra and Sharon, were born.
At last count, Miller’s future successors include 24 grandchildren and 36 great-grandchildren.
Beverly, one his daughter’s shared some of Miller’s history.
“My father is a very thoughtful person…always has been,” Beverly began. “When he went into the military, he became a cook, but that is not what he enlisted for. An argument led to him being put on kitchen detail and he ended up doing such a great job at it, they kept him in that position. Everyone loved his sweet potato pones. They even sent him to school for that career.”
Once out of the military, Miller continued his cooking skills in a local restaurant where the patrons fell in love with the way he made his ‘frog legs’.
“When he was at home, we loved the way he made his greens,” Beverly said. “There was just something extra, maybe the love he put in it, that made them so tasty.”
When not cooking, Miller enjoyed fishing and playing checkers.
At his birthday celebration held April 1 in the atrium of the CLC, Miller was surrounded by family and staff of the Columbia VAHCS.
Miller’s oldest, 71-year-old son, James said he and his siblings were raised in the church and taught to live right. “To this day, none of us drink or smoke”, James said.
“I want this to be a joyous day for him,” daughter Maria said. “I want to always remember this day…this time.”
| Date Taken: | 04.01.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 04.18.2019 16:33 |
| Story ID: | 318720 |
| Location: | COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 81 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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