Earl L. “Smoky” Miller, 88

Services for Earl L. “Smoky” Miller, 88 who died at Montclair Care Center October 20, 1995 were Tuesday, October 24 at Kountze Memorial Church in Omaha. Burial was in Hillcrest Cemetery.

Earl L. Miller was born at North Bend, Nebraska June 25, 1907 to Charles E. and Stella M. Miller. He attended school in Arlington, graduating in 1926.

He traveled with a dance band as a drummer before moving back to Blair where he worked as a sign painter and as a movie projectionist. Later he moved to Omaha and worked for Electrical Products as an electrical draftsman. He also worked in many of the area movie theaters as a projectionist.

He served in World War II in Iceland, England and France. He was honorably discharged from the service in 1947 from Leavenworth, Kansas.

He retired from the Corps of Engineers after many years service and during that time made the scale models of many of the dams on the Missouri River. He belonged to the Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion. He was on the National Roster of the Coast Guard and belonged to the Coast Guard Auxiliary in Omaha.

He married Winifred Cockrill in South Carolina in August, 1942. She preceded him in death in October, 1978.

He was also preceded in death by his parents, two brothers and one sister.

He is survived by one sister, Dorothy Rogert of Blair; a sister-in-law, Frances Miller of Omaha; nieces, Virginia Cover, Billings, Montana; Pat and John Haynes, Grand Island; Janet and Tom Nielsen, Omaha; and their families, Carma Jean and Paul Pocaj, Sioux City, Iowa; Kimberly Pocaj, Omaha and a nephew, Roger Rogert of Omaha.

John A. Gentleman Mortuary was in charge of arrangements.

~~~ Obituary courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair Public Library at Blair, Nebraska.~~~