Henry Alexander Miller
Former Ozona resident, Henry Miller, 86, died Wednesday, May 7, 2008, at Knopp Nursing Home in Fredericksburg. He was born in Moline, Kan., on Sept. 18, 1921. Henry was a direct descendent of American Revolutionary War Patriot, Jesse Kimball. Graduating from high school in 1939, in Otter Creek, Ind., he moved with his family to Olathe, Kan., where he met the love of his life, LaVaun Towers. They married June 23, 1943.
Mr. Miller attended the University of Kansas transferring to the University of Texas in 1940. He was a U.S. Navy aviation cadet from June 1942, until June 1943, when he received his commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Marines. Serving in the Pacific War Theater at Bougainville and Green Island, he was assigned to the 1st Marine Air Wing, Marine Air Group 61, VMB 423 as squadron navigation and bombardier officer. As a 1st Lieutenant, his missions included Bogainville, New Ireland, New Britain and Rabul. They were preparing to give close and low level air support to the Marine ground forces invasion of Japan when the atomic bombs were dropped ending the war. He returned to the United States in December 1945 and entered the University of Texas at Austin graduating in 1948 with a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering. He was inducted into the National World War II Memorial the year it opened in 2004.
He spent his professional career planning, building and operating oil refineries and gas processing plants in Wichita Falls, Texas; Big Lake, Texas; Tulsa, Okla.; Maracaibo, Venezuela; Dallas, Texas; Cotton Valley, La.; Ozona; Libya, Alaska, Iran and Saudi Arabia. he was received the Silver Award for Meritorious Service from the Louisiana Petroleum Council for Outstanding Leadership and Accomplishments in 1961.
Henry and LaVaun retired to Venica, Fla., where they spent 28 years on their beloved beach entertaining family and friends. LaVaun died April 28, 2005, after 62 years of marriage. Miller was also preceded in death by his parents Fred and Mabel Miller; his in-laws, Guy and Mabel Towers; his sister, and her husband Maedean and Charles Roberts; his brother-in-law, Charles Towers; and his sisters-in-law Louise Nelson and Helen Miller.
Survivors include his three children; daughters Julia Rogers and husband Bruce of Silver Spring, Md., Cathy Carson and husband Bill of Ozona and son Hank Miller and wife Eva Reed of Fredericksburg; four grandchildren, Ken Johansen and wife Alison of Ashburn, Va., Julie Lawford and husband Greg of Portage, Mich., Haley Najar and husband Rodney of San Antonio and Amanda Green and husband Jason of The Colony. His four great-grandchildren are Chelsey Najar, Abbey and Haley Lawford and Carson Green. He is also survived by his brother Ken Miller of Ventura, Calif., sisters-in-law Lillian Partis of Ottawa, Kan., Jan Envall and husband Bob of Albuquerque, N.M., his brother-in-law Richard Towers and wife Wann of Manhattan, Kan. and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.
Henry and LaVaun Miller’s remains will be interred in Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio, Texas on May 29 with full military honors.