Earl Miller

EARL MILLER

Cedar Rapids

Earl Raymond Miller, 91, of Hiawatha Care Center, 405 N. 15th Ave., Hiawatha, went to be with the Lord on March 18, 2014, at the Hiawatha Care Center. Funeral services will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at Cedar Memorial Park Chapel of Memories, with the Rev. Brad Brown of Concordia Lutheran Church presiding. Friends may call Friday from 4 to 7 p.m. at Cedar Memorial Park Funeral Home. Burial will take place at Cedar Memorial Park Cemetery.

He was born Sept. 30, 1922, to Elva and Charles Miller in Fayette County, Iowa.

Earl is survived by two daughters and their husbands, Jewell and Michael R. Morow of Indianapolis and Karen and Dr. John L. Thornton of Mount Vernon; and one son, Thomas O. Miller and his wife, Janice, of Woodinville, Wash. He also is survived by seven grandchildren, Amy Miller Hamilton and her husband, Mark, of Laurel, Md., Carrie R. Miller of Kirkland, Wash., David T. Miller and his wife, Lauren, of Duvall, Wash., (Timothy) Isaac Miller of Forest Park, Ill., Molly C. Thornton of Cedar Rapids, Bonnie O. Thornton and Beatrix R. Thornton, both of Mount Vernon; two great-grandchildren, Ian Hamilton and Elena Hamilton of Laurel, Md. Earl also is survived by two sisters, (Doris) Jean Albert of Hazleton and ( Lois) Jane Dullard and her husband, Joe of Ankeny; and three brothers, Ralph Miller of Pawhuska, Okla., Wayne Miller and his wife, Janie, and Charles Miller and his wife, June, of Cedar Rapids; and many nieces and nephews.

The family gives a special thank you to his nieces, Vicki Airy, for faithfully visiting him in his last year, and Kelly Mather, a special care provider at Hiawatha Care Center.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Dorothy L. Miller; and two brothers, George Miller and Donald Miller.

Earl attended Union College in Lincoln, Neb., Iowa State University and graduated with a business degree from Coe College after serving in the U.S. Army for 3 1/2 years during World War II.

He founded Miller & Co. Realtors and operated it for 39 years. He served as president of the Cedar Rapids Board of Realtors, president of the Iowa Association of Realtors and vice president of the National Association of Realtors. Earl also served as chairman of the Urban Renewal Board of Cedar Rapids.

In 1965, he purchased Big Creek Farm, Mount Vernon, and raised purebred Simmental cattle. In later years, he and his wife, Dorothy, retired to live parttime in Punta Gorda, Fla.

Earl and Dorothy were charter members of Zion Lutheran Church in Hiawatha, members of Bethany Lutheran Church and then St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Mount Vernon. When in Florida, Dorothy and Earl were active contributors of the Lutheran Church of the Cross in Port Charlotte. They also were members of Concordia Lutheran Church in Cedar Rapids. They participated in Bible classes at both churches since 1991. Earl served faithfully in many positions of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod in each church.

Earl deeply valued responsibility and honesty. He believed his word was his bond. Earl was a Christian man who loved his family.

He enjoyed boating, fishing, farming, golfing, his cabin on the Mississippi River, a three-month western vacation with Dorothy and their children and hosting gatherings for family and friends.

Memorials may be sent to LCMS Global Mission Fund, 1333 S. Kirkwood Rd., MO 63122 or St. Luke's Healthcare Foundation – Grace Fund, 855 A Ave., Suite 105, Cedar Rapids, IA 52402.

Please leave a message, tribute or memory to Earl's family on the webpage, www.cedar memorial.com under Obituaries.