Murlin W. "Spike" Miller

Murlin W. “Spike” Miller, 81, of Prescott, Arizona, died early Tuesday afternoon, October 3, 2006.   He was born October 1, 1925, in Mendon, Ohio, to John J. and Frona E. (Dull) Miller.   He lived his young years in rural Chattanooga, Ohio, with Michael and Margaret Kallenberger.  He graduated from Willshire High School in 1943 and joined the US Marines in January of 1944 and served in WWII in the Pacific on a heavy gun crew.  In 1954 he joined the US Air Force and served in RECON.   A Goshen resident for several years before moving to Arizona, Mr. Miller, retired from the military service after 21 years, of which ten and half years were spent overseas.  He also played some pro and semi-pro baseball for a couple of years.   He participated in the Arizona Senior Olympics and won several gold medals in the discus and shot-put events.   He is survived by three brothers, Raymond (Peg) Miller and Robert (Ruth) Miller, both of Elkhart, and Don (DeeAnna) Miller of Goshen; and two sisters, JoAnn Burt of Goshen and Beatrice Miller of Indianapolis.   He was preceded in death by three brothers, Paul, William “Bill” and Roland Miller, and three sisters, Mary Baer, Betty Hartzler and Lavern Powell.   Family and friends will meet at the graveside in Violett Cemetery, Goshen, on Thursday, January 11, 2007, at 11:00 a.m. for a graveside service.  A nephew, Pastor Larry Baker of the First Brethren Church in South Bend will officiate.