Kenneth Miller

Former Duncan resident and businessman Kenneth Erwin Miller, age 89, passed away on March 26, 2007, in Jenks, OK. A grandfather of Kenneth Miller was one of three brothers who settled land just north of Chandler, in Lincoln county, Oklahoma, by means of the Oklahoma land run, September 1891. A farm on that land is where Kenneth Erwin Miller was born to Charles and Elva Miller on May 22, 1917. Kenneth passed away on March 26, 2007, in Jenks, Oklahoma. Raised on the family farm, Ken became interested in how clocks worked during his Chandler high school years, while working as a projectionist at the town movie house. While the 20 minute reels of movie film turned, Ken would tinker with clocks in the projection booth. This continued after Ken graduated from Chandler high school~ until he was 24 and the beginning of World War II. During the war Kenneth was a soldier in US Army units assigned to Ascension Island, Southern Atlantic, to construct the strategic Wide-awake airfield. Kenneth would spend the war there; located halfway between South America and Africa, as 25, 000 US planes landed and took off for the North Africa, Middle East and European theaters of war. Ken would become emotional when telling the story of how his Army unit was expected to have Wide-awake completed in a year but finished the job in 90 days and the air field continues to be used to this day. Just after the war Ken began work in watch repair because his wife Virginia did not want him working at night at the Chandler movie house. By this time their son Leslie was born. Ken and Virginia lived in Shawnee where Kenneth worked as a watch repair apprentice for three years. Then to Sweetwater, then Anson, Texas, where daughter Susan was born, then back to Chandler where son, Charles, was born and where Ken worked at the Mercer jewelry store. In 1955 Ken went to Duncan, Oklahoma, to try out with Rosenfields jewelers as a watch repairman, staying at the Wade Hotel. It was halloween night and someone Wrote 'Go home' on his car windshield. Kenneth stayed, repairing watches for 43 years, becoming the best at his craft in southern Oklahoma. Ken''s motto about watch repair: 'When part of your business day is devoted to work that gives you the enjoyment of a hobby, you''re in the right profession' The good events in Ken''s life during those years were annual fishing trips with his close mends and trips. every year to Chandler, Oklahoma, for the annual high school alumni reunion. He dearly loved the reunion banquet and main street parade. His last trip'' to the reunion was at the age of 83 when he enjoyed the treat of watching the parade from the balcony of the movie house where he had worked years before. Kenneth is survived by a son & daughter-in-law, Leslie Miller & Ann Miller of Goldsboro, North Carolina; a daughter & son-in-law Susan & Rick Watson, of Searcy, Arkansas; son & daughter-in-law Charles & Karen Miller of Bixby, Oklahoma, sister Dea Stafford of Tulsa, Oklahoma, brother, George Miller of Chandler, OK. 6 grandchildren, 4 great-grandchildren, other relatives and many friends. Kenneth was preceded in death by his wife Virginia Lou Miller passed away Duncan, OK, August 6, 2001; brothers C.R Miller and Elmo Miller Chandler, OK