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- [S104] Cocke County, Tennessee, and its People, Cocke County Heritage Book Committee, (Walsworth Publishing, 1992), 287.
- [S112] Census, 1930.
Name: Darius Miller
Event: Census
Event Date: 1930
Event Place: District 04, Cocke, Tennessee
Gender: Male
Age: 3
Marital Status: Single
Race: White
Birthplace: Tennessee
Estimated Birth Year: 1927
Immigration Year:
Relationship to Head of Household: Son
Father's Birthplace: Tennessee
Mother's Birthplace: Tennessee
Enumeration District Number: 0009
Family Number: 109
Sheet Number and Letter: 5B
Line Number: 62
NARA Publication: T626, roll 2238
Film Number: 2341972
Digital Folder Number: 4548152
Image Number: 00178
Household Gender Age
Parent Oscar Miller M 24
Parent Josie Miller F 25
Delous Miller M 3
Darius Miller M 3
Louise Miller F 1
- [S52] Miller Funeral Home, (http://www.millerfuneralhome.org), 22 Oct 2009.
(April 28, 1927 - October 22, 2009)
U.S. Veteran Darius Henry Miller, age 82, died peacefully Thursday morning, October 22, 2009, in Morristown-Hamblen Hospital after a period of declining health. He was born at home in the Edgemont community on April 28, 1927, the older of twin sons of the late Oscar and Jessie (Clevenger) Miller. Two younger daughters would later complete the family. He was educated at Edgemont Elementary School and Cocke County High School. Prior to his graduation from high school, he was drafted into the US Navy during World War II. Upon his discharge from service, he returned to CCHS and graduated with the Class of 1947. Following high school graduation, he entered Tennessee Tech where he studied business. After leaving college, he returned to Newport where he went to work for Stewart’s Potato Chip Company of Knoxville serving numerous grocery stores throughout the area. After eight years with this company, he became an agent for State Farm Insurance on December 15, 1957, a position he held for 50 years. He was a loyal and faithful member of First United Methodist Church, serving as church treasurer and as a member of the Administrative Board. He was also a member of both the Newport Lions Club and the Newport Masonic Lodge No. 234 F&AM for over 50 years. For many years, he was a director of the Tennessee-Carolina Fair. Many years ago, he enjoyed his work as an announcer for the old Tennessee/Carolina Speedway. In his spare time, he enjoyed collecting and restoring vintage automobiles, as well as watching college football and basketball and NASCAR races. He was especially fond of the UT Lady Vols. He was preceded in death by his parents and one sister Jane Miller Randolph. He is survived by his wife of 59 years Betty Jo Winter Miller of the home; two daughters and sons-in-law Vera and John Watson of Maryville, TN and Beth and Steve Brown, Danielsville, GA; two beloved grandchildren Brittany Kimball of Athens, GA and John Darius Scott of Danielsville, GA; his twin brother and sister-in-law James D. and Betty Miller and sister Lorene Miller Robeson, all of Newport; nephew and his wife Jimmy and Sharon Miller, nephew Dale Robeson, and niece and her husband Calvin and Janice Norton, all of Newport; nephew John C. Horner of Bulls Gap; niece and her husband Rosemary and Rick Balsinger of Medina, OH, and niece Susan Austin of Greeneville. The family will receive friends at First United Methodist Church on Saturday, October 24, 2009, from 2:00-4:00 p.m., with the funeral services to follow. Church pastors Rev. Rick Spell and Rev. Marta Cogburn will officiate. Active pallbearers will be John Darius Scott, Randy Ragan, Bob Arnold, Eric Varner, Jim McMahan, Conrad Smith, and E.R. Walker III. Entombment will be on Sunday , Oct. 25, 2009, at 10 a.m. in Resthaven.
- [S24] The Newport Plain Talk, (http://www.newportplaintalk.com), 24 Oct 2009.
Darius H. Miller, State Farm agent for 50 years, dies at 82
Author: Duay O'Neil
NEWPORT-A Newport businessman whose career in the insurance business spanned half a century died Friday morning.
Darius Henry Miller passed away at Morristown-Hamblen Hospital after several months of declining health. He was 82.
Miller's career as the local State Farm Insurance Agent began December 15, 1957 when he and the late W. S. Woodward, who was selling State Farm Insurance part-time, scrounged together in a tiny office and went to work.
Miller retired on December 15, 2007, fifty years to the day later.
Over the decades he established himself as one of Cocke County's most trusted businessmen.
He was born April 28, 1927, the older of twin boys born to the late Oscar and Jessie Miller. He and his brother James (J. D.) were later joined by two younger sisters, Jane, now deceased, and Lorene.
Educated first at Edgemont Elementary School and later at Cocke County High School, Miller had just celebrated his 18th birthday at the end of his junior year when he received his draft notice.
The year was 1945. Germany and Italy had just conceded defeat to the Allied forces in Europe, but war continued to rage in the Pacific.
He and J. D. reported for duty in Bainbridge, Maryland, and eventually he was sent to San Francisco where he served as a water tender on the USS Walter C. Wann and, for a short while, on a DE 367.
After Japan's surrender that August, Miller's military service quickly drew to a close and by August of 1946 he was back in Newport, where he re-enrolled in high school to finish his senior year.
"I had to sweet talk Miss Marjorie McMahan into letting me enter her speech arts class," he recalled in an interview last year.
Upon graduating from high school, he, along with Johnny Nease, Jimmy Graves, Greer Bryant, and Hollis Mason, entered Tennessee Tech, where he studied business.
Because his military service had been shortened, Miller only qualified for two years of study under the GI bill.
When he returned to his native Cocke County this time, he found a jobless situation. "The war was over and the job market was glutted," he explained. "Tech's engineering graduates couldn't find any jobs. My college advisor urged me to get into the business field, if possible."
A natural born salesman, Miller couldn't have been happier with this advice, but his search for work left him increasingly frustrated.
"I went to see Mr. Sweeten at A. C. Lawrence Leather Company," he said, who told him, "Darius, I'd give anything in the world to hire you."
Then Sweeten opened his desk drawer and withdrew a stack of cards about an inch thick. "But before I can hire you," Sweeten said, "I have to hire everyone of these people back first. But I promise to help you anyway I can."
The "people" Sweeten referred to were former Tannery employees who had been called to military duty during the war and whose union stipulations required the company to re-employ them first.
About a week later Miller received a visit from W. L. Macklin, a representative of Stewart's Potato Chip Company of Knoxville, a subsidiary of Continental Baking Company.
Macklin was looking for a salesman to cover the dozens of stores scattered throughout Cocke County then and, upon Mr. Sweeten's advice, sought out Miller.
Miller accepted Macklin's offer and quickly went to work traveling six and one-half days a week. His route took him into neighboring Greene County and across the state line as far as the Shelton Laurel community in Madison County, NC.
He worked from 4:00 a.m. until well past dark each day, staying with Stewart's for eight years.
During this time he married the former Betty Jo Winter in June of 1950 and became the father of two daughters Vera and Beth.
Even though Miller was doing extremely well in his work, he was intrigued by Mr. Woodward's offer to join him in the insurance business.
Even though he initially turned down Woodward's offer, Miller eventually accepted the position and worked with him for about a year until the elder man's retirement.
With the passage of a new law requiring Tennessee drivers to carry liability insurance, Miller found that he had entered the business at an opportune time.
The agency flourished, and the need for larger quarters led him to move the business to Gordon Robinson's new building between the McSween Bridge and the depot. They remained there until 1997 when the company moved to its present headquarters off Cosby Highway.
In reflecting over his career, Miller always credited his secretaries-Valire Ottinger, the late Mary Cody Helton, the late Blanche Moore, Cindy Miller, Susan Duckett, Julie Newman, Misty Sweeten Bonner, and Ronda Day, with being "the best secretaries possible."
Many of his new customers had come to know Miller during his days as a salesman who visited their stores and communities.
Over the years Miller received several offers to leave Newport and climb the corporate ladder. "But I always declined. My place was in Cocke County dealing with people I know and giving them a service that they needed," he said.
Funeral services for Miller were held yesterday at First United Methodist Church. Burial will be this morning in Resthaven Memorial Gardens.
Manes Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.
- [S58] Marriage Certificate.
Name: Oscar Miller
Titles & Terms:
Event: Marriage
Event Date: 02 Oct 1926
Event Place: Cocke, Tennessee
Age:
Estimated Birth Year:
Father:
Father's Titles & Terms:
Mother:
Mother's Titles & Terms:
Spouse: Jessie Clevenger
Spouse's Titles & Terms:
Spouse's Age:
Spouse's Estimated Birth Year:
Spouse's Father:
Spouse's Father's Titles & Terms:
Spouse's Mother:
Spouse's Mother's Titles & Terms:
Reference Number:
Film Number: 1572603
Digital Folder Number: 4485970
Image Number: 01165
- [S58] Marriage Certificate.
Name: Daruis Miller
Titles & Terms:
Event: Marriage
Event Date: 26 Jun 1950
Event Place: Cocke, Tennessee
Age: 23
Estimated Birth Year: 1927
Father:
Father's Titles & Terms:
Mother:
Mother's Titles & Terms:
Spouse: Elizabeth Josephine Winter
Spouse's Titles & Terms:
Spouse's Age: 22
Spouse's Estimated Birth Year: 1928
Spouse's Father:
Spouse's Father's Titles & Terms:
Spouse's Mother:
Spouse's Mother's Titles & Terms:
Reference Number:
Film Number: 1928652
Digital Folder Number: 4485967
Image Number: 00315
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