Orlo was the 4th of 9 children of Alvin Miller, born in Kansas in 1878, and Effie Pinkston Miller, born in Louisville, Kentucky in 1882.
Orlo Alvin Miller was born September 21, 1908 in a sod house located about 2-3 miles southwest of Greensburg, Kiowa County, Kansas. The picture of this house is included here. The caption says, "A. B. Miller dugout, Orlo is the one in baby buggy."
Orlo married (Lora) Neva Wheeler on September 30, 1930 in Kinsley, Edwards County, Kansas. Kinsley is located 25 miles north of Greensburg. For reasons not exactly known at this time, Orlo and Neva were married and back in Greensburg before anyone knew anything about them being married. [In 1995, grandson Larry would drive through Greensburg and Kinsley five nights a week on a delivery route for an auto parts company in Wichita.] Neva Wheeler's family had lived in Greensburg since the late 1890's.
Orlo did farm work briefly for Raleigh Puyear on Raleigh and Ophelya's farm which was located about 3 miles northeast of Johnson, Kansas. Ophelya was Neva's older sister. Orlo, Neva and Vada lived in a bunk house on this farm during that time, which was also during the difficult and scary dust bowl times. Neva hung damp sheets over Vada's crib and also hung damp sheets, and whatever else she could find, in front of windows in an attempt to keep the dust out. During that time they would offen find a very thick layer of dust on their kitchen table in the morning.
While living in Greensburg, Kansas Orlo also worked for a short time for Folsom Wheeler, Neva's older brother, in Folsom's business of moving houses.
At some point, probably in the 1940's, Orlo had a Lincoln Zephyr, which was the basis of a family joke for many years when Folsom's wife, Leona, referred to it as a Lincoln Zipper.
In Wichita, Orlo worked at a flour mill, for a tree trimming business, a chicken slaughter house, and in the "Hammer House" Department at Cessna Aircraft.
When Orlo, Neva and children first moved to Wichita they lived with Orlo's brother Marvin and family at 301 N. Richmond Street. It was during this time that daughter Vada attended Martinson Elementary School located at the southwest corner of 2nd and Athenian Streets, a school that all of her children would later attend. Vada's father-in-law, Harry Barnes also attended Martinson Elementary in 1913. Orlo and family next moved to 1843 S. Washington Street where they rented 1/2 of the house with a family possibly named Danby. They next bought a house located at 1920 S. Sante Fe Street. In 1950, Orlo and Neva paid $6,000 for the house at 2106 S. Gold Street in Wichita, a house they lived in for the rest of their lives.
Around 1965 to 1966, Orlo suffered a heart attack. He had been a light cigarette smoker for years. The doctor told him to stop smoking. Just like that, he quit smoking. Done. Another doctor put him on a low fat diet. Done. Neva cooked him meals that followed those requirements. Another thing about Orlo and Neva - they understood that doctors, though imperfect, knew what they were talking about.
In 1971 Orlo retired as an engineer, having worked 21 to 23 years at pumping stations for City Service Gas Company. He worked rotating shifts (1st through 3rd) at this job. As a retirement gift from the company, Orlo received some sort of a chrome plated valve mounted on a wood base with an engraved plaque mentioning his years of service. He also received retirement pay from this company. One pumping station where he worked was located at the southeast corner of Seneca and McArthur Streets, and another is still located on south Meridian Street, north of the east-west road that also runs right through the town of Clearwater. City Service was later known as Williams Gas Company, a large natural gas supplier.
Orlo and Neva were definitely neat and orderly people. Grandma (Neva) took meticulous care of the inside of the house and did all of the cooking. Orlo had his tools organized in his garage. Originally, their house on Gold Street had an attached one-car garage on the north side of the house. In the 1960's this garage was converted to a family room by son-in-law Gene Barnes and his father Harry. This family room had a raised, wood floor so there was no step-down, and was connected to their small dining room, making one fairly large room containing a large couch, three or four chairs and a small television. During this conversion, a large picture window and awning was installed on the east wall of the dining room which gave them a great view of the backyard and that part of the neighborhood. Orlo spent about as much time in these rooms as in any other part of their house. This house was heated by a floor furnace located near the two bedrooms near the south end of the house, and a wall furnace located in the family room on the north wall of the house. Between these furnaces, the house was comfortable during cold weather. Orlo refused to wear a long-sleeved shirt or sweater in the house during the winter. He'd just turn up the furnaces. This house was cooled by a large window air conditioner on the north wall of the dining room and a small window air conditioner in their bedroom. Some time shortly after the garage was converted into a family room in the 1960's, a one-car garage was built on the alley on the east, which I think was mostly built by Orlo and son Mel. Not long after, a car port was added to the south side of the garage, and then another car port added beside the first one. Over the years grandsons Larry and Chuck temporarily parked cars under the 2nd car port. Around 1980, Orlo, Gene and several of the grandsons assembled a metal tool shed located just west of their garage where Orlo kept some of his tools and lawn equipment. He was particular about their lawn always keeping the grass neatly mowed and trimmed. Most years they kept a garden in the southeast corner of their backyard. Though never interested in reading books, Orlo read the paper every day, practically from front to back, and until recent years there was also an evening paper for him to read, The Wichita Beacon. Orlo didn't really have any big hobbies, something he actually seemed to be pretty comfortable with. In fact it was a family joke that he was very difficult to buy for during birthdays and Christmas. As a result, he had a very good supply of socks, belts and wallets. Someone, maybe grandma, bought him a bowling ball after he was retired, but that didn't interest him. Orlo liked all family get togethers and liked getting cards on his birthday, but if a gift was the least bit expensive he would say that they shouldn't have spent so much. He fished a little when there were family get togethers at a lake, but didn't really fish otherwise. Orlo, Neva, Mel and the Gene and Vada Barnes family made a trip to the Pratt Fish Hatchery and several of us, including Orlo, fished that day.
Orlo enjoyed keeping track of the weather, weather forecasts and rainfall, keeping a close eye on the raingage in their backyard, their outdoor thermometer and the 7 ft. tall windmill located outside their dining room picture window. Several of us family members assembled and installed the windmill.
After retirement Orlo would occasionally go for walks around the neighborhood, sometimes taking a metal rod used not as a cane but to keep dogs away. Following retirement, Orlo was known to get a haircut about every 2 weeks, in fact, sometimes so often grandma wondered how the barber was finding any hair to trim. Orlo spoke of going to the barbershop located on the southwest corner of Harry and Palisade Streets, about 5-6 blocks due north of their house. It still operates as a barbershop today (2013).
Orlo was a family man and was serious about being a good husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. He and grandma were never very far from each other. He enjoyed his family, and had a good time playing with his grandkids and seeing them with a new toy at a birthday or Christmas. He really had a big time with the little kids. When he got together with his brothers they'd generally play cards, joking around. Orlo was an early to bed, early to rise kind of a guy. He might see part of the 10 o'clock news and then turn in for the night. No late night movies or talk shows for him. He didn't attend church services like Neva, but you never heard him use a bad word and thought everyone should be honest. If he didn't know who you were you'd generally have to earn his trust. Grandpa didn't like beards, thought they made people look awful. When his son Mel grew a beard for a few days, or weeks, Orlo would ask him when he was going to shave that thing off. Orlo shaved every day, you wouldn't see him needing a shave! When it came to politics, he was a strong Republican. Generally, Orlo wouldn't watch any movie, but watched local TV news and weather. When we were kids, they would watch TV westerns such as Maverick with James Garner. Orlo liked Rowan and Martin's "Laugh-in," a very popular show of the late 1960's. Maybe appearances by Richard Nixon, Jack Benny and Danny Kaye on Laugh-in made Orlo take notice? Orlo did enjoy watching college and pro football and boxing on TV. I remember watching several championship fights at their house on Saturday afternoons when boxing championships fights were televised live on ABC's "The Wide World of Sports."
Orlo was not a fan of cats. As a joke, Jeananna, wife of Orlo's grandson Chuck, hung a picture of a ugly cat in the house when Orlo was busy talking to others. In a day or so, Jeananna got a call from Orlo saying that someone placed a picture of an ugly cat in his house. Of course he knew who'd played the joke on him. Jeananna continues this prank by placing a figure of cat on his side of their cemetery marker every Memorial Day Weekend.
I remember grandpa (Orlo) had what I think was a '53 Ford 2-door he used as a work car. They had a red and white 2-door '56 Ford Fairlane which they'd bought new and drove for a number of years. He bought a new powder blue '63 Dodge Polara that was displayed in the Spencer's Dodge show room on west Douglas Avenue. He and grandma gave this car to their grandsons Larry and Mike in 1972 with just 47,000 miles on it. It was a really a good car, and very practical, with a 318 cubic inch V8 engine and a futuristic, oblong or squared steering wheel and a push button automatic transmission. They had a '70 or '71 dark blue Dodga Polara that he and grandma gave to granddaughter Karen when they bought a new '78 or '79 2-door silver Chrysler Cordoba. After grandma died in 1990, grandpa bought a maroon 1985 Mercury Grand Marquis station wagon with 50,000 miles on it. I never would have imagined that old station wagon would have such a long and important life, though my dad tended to drive cars a long time. Orlo left the Chrysler and the Mercury to his daughter and son-in-law. Less than a month after Orlo died, on June 19th a terrible hail storm hit and put large dents all over the Chrysler. I'm sure glad grandpa never saw that. The Mercury was west of town so it wasn't hit by the hail. The Chrysler, being a 2-door, was not as practical, so it was later sold. Keeping the Mercury, son-in-law Gene loved the car, always bragging on it saying that Orlo really picked a good one. We think the car always reminded Gene of Orlo, and of course, that would make Gene recall his mother-in-law, Neva. The Mercury was driven to Austin, Texas, and later, western Colorado in 1999. In April of 2007, I drove the Mercury directly behind the hearse at my dad's funeral. In 2009, the 24 year old Mercury was sold for $650. It still ran well. The Mercury was later seen parked near 2nd and Dodge Streets, and next just a block away in the 300 block of north Exposition Street in 2014. I guess they're having a hard time parting with it too. (Larry E. Barnes, grandson of Orlo and Neva.)
Orlo Alvin Miller was born September 21, 1908 in a sod house located about 2-3 miles southwest of Greensburg, Kiowa County, Kansas. The picture of this house is included here. The caption says, "A. B. Miller dugout, Orlo is the one in baby buggy."
Orlo married (Lora) Neva Wheeler on September 30, 1930 in Kinsley, Edwards County, Kansas. Kinsley is located 25 miles north of Greensburg. For reasons not exactly known at this time, Orlo and Neva were married and back in Greensburg before anyone knew anything about them being married. [In 1995, grandson Larry would drive through Greensburg and Kinsley five nights a week on a delivery route for an auto parts company in Wichita.] Neva Wheeler's family had lived in Greensburg since the late 1890's.
Orlo did farm work briefly for Raleigh Puyear on Raleigh and Ophelya's farm which was located about 3 miles northeast of Johnson, Kansas. Ophelya was Neva's older sister. Orlo, Neva and Vada lived in a bunk house on this farm during that time, which was also during the difficult and scary dust bowl times. Neva hung damp sheets over Vada's crib and also hung damp sheets, and whatever else she could find, in front of windows in an attempt to keep the dust out. During that time they would offen find a very thick layer of dust on their kitchen table in the morning.
While living in Greensburg, Kansas Orlo also worked for a short time for Folsom Wheeler, Neva's older brother, in Folsom's business of moving houses.
At some point, probably in the 1940's, Orlo had a Lincoln Zephyr, which was the basis of a family joke for many years when Folsom's wife, Leona, referred to it as a Lincoln Zipper.
In Wichita, Orlo worked at a flour mill, for a tree trimming business, a chicken slaughter house, and in the "Hammer House" Department at Cessna Aircraft.
When Orlo, Neva and children first moved to Wichita they lived with Orlo's brother Marvin and family at 301 N. Richmond Street. It was during this time that daughter Vada attended Martinson Elementary School located at the southwest corner of 2nd and Athenian Streets, a school that all of her children would later attend. Vada's father-in-law, Harry Barnes also attended Martinson Elementary in 1913. Orlo and family next moved to 1843 S. Washington Street where they rented 1/2 of the house with a family possibly named Danby. They next bought a house located at 1920 S. Sante Fe Street. In 1950, Orlo and Neva paid $6,000 for the house at 2106 S. Gold Street in Wichita, a house they lived in for the rest of their lives.
Around 1965 to 1966, Orlo suffered a heart attack. He had been a light cigarette smoker for years. The doctor told him to stop smoking. Just like that, he quit smoking. Done. Another doctor put him on a low fat diet. Done. Neva cooked him meals that followed those requirements. Another thing about Orlo and Neva - they understood that doctors, though imperfect, knew what they were talking about.
In 1971 Orlo retired as an engineer, having worked 21 to 23 years at pumping stations for City Service Gas Company. He worked rotating shifts (1st through 3rd) at this job. As a retirement gift from the company, Orlo received some sort of a chrome plated valve mounted on a wood base with an engraved plaque mentioning his years of service. He also received retirement pay from this company. One pumping station where he worked was located at the southeast corner of Seneca and McArthur Streets, and another is still located on south Meridian Street, north of the east-west road that also runs right through the town of Clearwater. City Service was later known as Williams Gas Company, a large natural gas supplier.
Orlo and Neva were definitely neat and orderly people. Grandma (Neva) took meticulous care of the inside of the house and did all of the cooking. Orlo had his tools organized in his garage. Originally, their house on Gold Street had an attached one-car garage on the north side of the house. In the 1960's this garage was converted to a family room by son-in-law Gene Barnes and his father Harry. This family room had a raised, wood floor so there was no step-down, and was connected to their small dining room, making one fairly large room containing a large couch, three or four chairs and a small television. During this conversion, a large picture window and awning was installed on the east wall of the dining room which gave them a great view of the backyard and that part of the neighborhood. Orlo spent about as much time in these rooms as in any other part of their house. This house was heated by a floor furnace located near the two bedrooms near the south end of the house, and a wall furnace located in the family room on the north wall of the house. Between these furnaces, the house was comfortable during cold weather. Orlo refused to wear a long-sleeved shirt or sweater in the house during the winter. He'd just turn up the furnaces. This house was cooled by a large window air conditioner on the north wall of the dining room and a small window air conditioner in their bedroom. Some time shortly after the garage was converted into a family room in the 1960's, a one-car garage was built on the alley on the east, which I think was mostly built by Orlo and son Mel. Not long after, a car port was added to the south side of the garage, and then another car port added beside the first one. Over the years grandsons Larry and Chuck temporarily parked cars under the 2nd car port. Around 1980, Orlo, Gene and several of the grandsons assembled a metal tool shed located just west of their garage where Orlo kept some of his tools and lawn equipment. He was particular about their lawn always keeping the grass neatly mowed and trimmed. Most years they kept a garden in the southeast corner of their backyard. Though never interested in reading books, Orlo read the paper every day, practically from front to back, and until recent years there was also an evening paper for him to read, The Wichita Beacon. Orlo didn't really have any big hobbies, something he actually seemed to be pretty comfortable with. In fact it was a family joke that he was very difficult to buy for during birthdays and Christmas. As a result, he had a very good supply of socks, belts and wallets. Someone, maybe grandma, bought him a bowling ball after he was retired, but that didn't interest him. Orlo liked all family get togethers and liked getting cards on his birthday, but if a gift was the least bit expensive he would say that they shouldn't have spent so much. He fished a little when there were family get togethers at a lake, but didn't really fish otherwise. Orlo, Neva, Mel and the Gene and Vada Barnes family made a trip to the Pratt Fish Hatchery and several of us, including Orlo, fished that day.
Orlo enjoyed keeping track of the weather, weather forecasts and rainfall, keeping a close eye on the raingage in their backyard, their outdoor thermometer and the 7 ft. tall windmill located outside their dining room picture window. Several of us family members assembled and installed the windmill.
After retirement Orlo would occasionally go for walks around the neighborhood, sometimes taking a metal rod used not as a cane but to keep dogs away. Following retirement, Orlo was known to get a haircut about every 2 weeks, in fact, sometimes so often grandma wondered how the barber was finding any hair to trim. Orlo spoke of going to the barbershop located on the southwest corner of Harry and Palisade Streets, about 5-6 blocks due north of their house. It still operates as a barbershop today (2013).
Orlo was a family man and was serious about being a good husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. He and grandma were never very far from each other. He enjoyed his family, and had a good time playing with his grandkids and seeing them with a new toy at a birthday or Christmas. He really had a big time with the little kids. When he got together with his brothers they'd generally play cards, joking around. Orlo was an early to bed, early to rise kind of a guy. He might see part of the 10 o'clock news and then turn in for the night. No late night movies or talk shows for him. He didn't attend church services like Neva, but you never heard him use a bad word and thought everyone should be honest. If he didn't know who you were you'd generally have to earn his trust. Grandpa didn't like beards, thought they made people look awful. When his son Mel grew a beard for a few days, or weeks, Orlo would ask him when he was going to shave that thing off. Orlo shaved every day, you wouldn't see him needing a shave! When it came to politics, he was a strong Republican. Generally, Orlo wouldn't watch any movie, but watched local TV news and weather. When we were kids, they would watch TV westerns such as Maverick with James Garner. Orlo liked Rowan and Martin's "Laugh-in," a very popular show of the late 1960's. Maybe appearances by Richard Nixon, Jack Benny and Danny Kaye on Laugh-in made Orlo take notice? Orlo did enjoy watching college and pro football and boxing on TV. I remember watching several championship fights at their house on Saturday afternoons when boxing championships fights were televised live on ABC's "The Wide World of Sports."
Orlo was not a fan of cats. As a joke, Jeananna, wife of Orlo's grandson Chuck, hung a picture of a ugly cat in the house when Orlo was busy talking to others. In a day or so, Jeananna got a call from Orlo saying that someone placed a picture of an ugly cat in his house. Of course he knew who'd played the joke on him. Jeananna continues this prank by placing a figure of cat on his side of their cemetery marker every Memorial Day Weekend.
I remember grandpa (Orlo) had what I think was a '53 Ford 2-door he used as a work car. They had a red and white 2-door '56 Ford Fairlane which they'd bought new and drove for a number of years. He bought a new powder blue '63 Dodge Polara that was displayed in the Spencer's Dodge show room on west Douglas Avenue. He and grandma gave this car to their grandsons Larry and Mike in 1972 with just 47,000 miles on it. It was a really a good car, and very practical, with a 318 cubic inch V8 engine and a futuristic, oblong or squared steering wheel and a push button automatic transmission. They had a '70 or '71 dark blue Dodga Polara that he and grandma gave to granddaughter Karen when they bought a new '78 or '79 2-door silver Chrysler Cordoba. After grandma died in 1990, grandpa bought a maroon 1985 Mercury Grand Marquis station wagon with 50,000 miles on it. I never would have imagined that old station wagon would have such a long and important life, though my dad tended to drive cars a long time. Orlo left the Chrysler and the Mercury to his daughter and son-in-law. Less than a month after Orlo died, on June 19th a terrible hail storm hit and put large dents all over the Chrysler. I'm sure glad grandpa never saw that. The Mercury was west of town so it wasn't hit by the hail. The Chrysler, being a 2-door, was not as practical, so it was later sold. Keeping the Mercury, son-in-law Gene loved the car, always bragging on it saying that Orlo really picked a good one. We think the car always reminded Gene of Orlo, and of course, that would make Gene recall his mother-in-law, Neva. The Mercury was driven to Austin, Texas, and later, western Colorado in 1999. In April of 2007, I drove the Mercury directly behind the hearse at my dad's funeral. In 2009, the 24 year old Mercury was sold for $650. It still ran well. The Mercury was later seen parked near 2nd and Dodge Streets, and next just a block away in the 300 block of north Exposition Street in 2014. I guess they're having a hard time parting with it too. (Larry E. Barnes, grandson of Orlo and Neva.)
Orlo was the 4th of 9 children of Alvin Miller, born in Kansas in 1878, and Effie Pinkston Miller, born in Louisville, Kentucky in 1882.
Orlo Alvin Miller was born September 21, 1908 in a sod house located about 2-3 miles southwest of Greensburg, Kiowa County, Kansas. The picture of this house is included here. The caption says, "A. B. Miller dugout, Orlo is the one in baby buggy."
Orlo married (Lora) Neva Wheeler on September 30, 1930 in Kinsley, Edwards County, Kansas. Kinsley is located 25 miles north of Greensburg. For reasons not exactly known at this time, Orlo and Neva were married and back in Greensburg before anyone knew anything about them being married. [In 1995, grandson Larry would drive through Greensburg and Kinsley five nights a week on a delivery route for an auto parts company in Wichita.] Neva Wheeler's family had lived in Greensburg since the late 1890's.
Orlo did farm work briefly for Raleigh Puyear on Raleigh and Ophelya's farm which was located about 3 miles northeast of Johnson, Kansas. Ophelya was Neva's older sister. Orlo, Neva and Vada lived in a bunk house on this farm during that time, which was also during the difficult and scary dust bowl times. Neva hung damp sheets over Vada's crib and also hung damp sheets, and whatever else she could find, in front of windows in an attempt to keep the dust out. During that time they would offen find a very thick layer of dust on their kitchen table in the morning.
While living in Greensburg, Kansas Orlo also worked for a short time for Folsom Wheeler, Neva's older brother, in Folsom's business of moving houses.
At some point, probably in the 1940's, Orlo had a Lincoln Zephyr, which was the basis of a family joke for many years when Folsom's wife, Leona, referred to it as a Lincoln Zipper.
In Wichita, Orlo worked at a flour mill, for a tree trimming business, a chicken slaughter house, and in the "Hammer House" Department at Cessna Aircraft.
When Orlo, Neva and children first moved to Wichita they lived with Orlo's brother Marvin and family at 301 N. Richmond Street. It was during this time that daughter Vada attended Martinson Elementary School located at the southwest corner of 2nd and Athenian Streets, a school that all of her children would later attend. Vada's father-in-law, Harry Barnes also attended Martinson Elementary in 1913. Orlo and family next moved to 1843 S. Washington Street where they rented 1/2 of the house with a family possibly named Danby. They next bought a house located at 1920 S. Sante Fe Street. In 1950, Orlo and Neva paid $6,000 for the house at 2106 S. Gold Street in Wichita, a house they lived in for the rest of their lives.
Around 1965 to 1966, Orlo suffered a heart attack. He had been a light cigarette smoker for years. The doctor told him to stop smoking. Just like that, he quit smoking. Done. Another doctor put him on a low fat diet. Done. Neva cooked him meals that followed those requirements. Another thing about Orlo and Neva - they understood that doctors, though imperfect, knew what they were talking about.
In 1971 Orlo retired as an engineer, having worked 21 to 23 years at pumping stations for City Service Gas Company. He worked rotating shifts (1st through 3rd) at this job. As a retirement gift from the company, Orlo received some sort of a chrome plated valve mounted on a wood base with an engraved plaque mentioning his years of service. He also received retirement pay from this company. One pumping station where he worked was located at the southeast corner of Seneca and McArthur Streets, and another is still located on south Meridian Street, north of the east-west road that also runs right through the town of Clearwater. City Service was later known as Williams Gas Company, a large natural gas supplier.
Orlo and Neva were definitely neat and orderly people. Grandma (Neva) took meticulous care of the inside of the house and did all of the cooking. Orlo had his tools organized in his garage. Originally, their house on Gold Street had an attached one-car garage on the north side of the house. In the 1960's this garage was converted to a family room by son-in-law Gene Barnes and his father Harry. This family room had a raised, wood floor so there was no step-down, and was connected to their small dining room, making one fairly large room containing a large couch, three or four chairs and a small television. During this conversion, a large picture window and awning was installed on the east wall of the dining room which gave them a great view of the backyard and that part of the neighborhood. Orlo spent about as much time in these rooms as in any other part of their house. This house was heated by a floor furnace located near the two bedrooms near the south end of the house, and a wall furnace located in the family room on the north wall of the house. Between these furnaces, the house was comfortable during cold weather. Orlo refused to wear a long-sleeved shirt or sweater in the house during the winter. He'd just turn up the furnaces. This house was cooled by a large window air conditioner on the north wall of the dining room and a small window air conditioner in their bedroom. Some time shortly after the garage was converted into a family room in the 1960's, a one-car garage was built on the alley on the east, which I think was mostly built by Orlo and son Mel. Not long after, a car port was added to the south side of the garage, and then another car port added beside the first one. Over the years grandsons Larry and Chuck temporarily parked cars under the 2nd car port. Around 1980, Orlo, Gene and several of the grandsons assembled a metal tool shed located just west of their garage where Orlo kept some of his tools and lawn equipment. He was particular about their lawn always keeping the grass neatly mowed and trimmed. Most years they kept a garden in the southeast corner of their backyard. Though never interested in reading books, Orlo read the paper every day, practically from front to back, and until recent years there was also an evening paper for him to read, The Wichita Beacon. Orlo didn't really have any big hobbies, something he actually seemed to be pretty comfortable with. In fact it was a family joke that he was very difficult to buy for during birthdays and Christmas. As a result, he had a very good supply of socks, belts and wallets. Someone, maybe grandma, bought him a bowling ball after he was retired, but that didn't interest him. Orlo liked all family get togethers and liked getting cards on his birthday, but if a gift was the least bit expensive he would say that they shouldn't have spent so much. He fished a little when there were family get togethers at a lake, but didn't really fish otherwise. Orlo, Neva, Mel and the Gene and Vada Barnes family made a trip to the Pratt Fish Hatchery and several of us, including Orlo, fished that day.
Orlo enjoyed keeping track of the weather, weather forecasts and rainfall, keeping a close eye on the raingage in their backyard, their outdoor thermometer and the 7 ft. tall windmill located outside their dining room picture window. Several of us family members assembled and installed the windmill.
After retirement Orlo would occasionally go for walks around the neighborhood, sometimes taking a metal rod used not as a cane but to keep dogs away. Following retirement, Orlo was known to get a haircut about every 2 weeks, in fact, sometimes so often grandma wondered how the barber was finding any hair to trim. Orlo spoke of going to the barbershop located on the southwest corner of Harry and Palisade Streets, about 5-6 blocks due north of their house. It still operates as a barbershop today (2013).
Orlo was a family man and was serious about being a good husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. He and grandma were never very far from each other. He enjoyed his family, and had a good time playing with his grandkids and seeing them with a new toy at a birthday or Christmas. He really had a big time with the little kids. When he got together with his brothers they'd generally play cards, joking around. Orlo was an early to bed, early to rise kind of a guy. He might see part of the 10 o'clock news and then turn in for the night. No late night movies or talk shows for him. He didn't attend church services like Neva, but you never heard him use a bad word and thought everyone should be honest. If he didn't know who you were you'd generally have to earn his trust. Grandpa didn't like beards, thought they made people look awful. When his son Mel grew a beard for a few days, or weeks, Orlo would ask him when he was going to shave that thing off. Orlo shaved every day, you wouldn't see him needing a shave! When it came to politics, he was a strong Republican. Generally, Orlo wouldn't watch any movie, but watched local TV news and weather. When we were kids, they would watch TV westerns such as Maverick with James Garner. Orlo liked Rowan and Martin's "Laugh-in," a very popular show of the late 1960's. Maybe appearances by Richard Nixon, Jack Benny and Danny Kaye on Laugh-in made Orlo take notice? Orlo did enjoy watching college and pro football and boxing on TV. I remember watching several championship fights at their house on Saturday afternoons when boxing championships fights were televised live on ABC's "The Wide World of Sports."
Orlo was not a fan of cats. As a joke, Jeananna, wife of Orlo's grandson Chuck, hung a picture of a ugly cat in the house when Orlo was busy talking to others. In a day or so, Jeananna got a call from Orlo saying that someone placed a picture of an ugly cat in his house. Of course he knew who'd played the joke on him. Jeananna continues this prank by placing a figure of cat on his side of their cemetery marker every Memorial Day Weekend.
I remember grandpa (Orlo) had what I think was a '53 Ford 2-door he used as a work car. They had a red and white 2-door '56 Ford Fairlane which they'd bought new and drove for a number of years. He bought a new powder blue '63 Dodge Polara that was displayed in the Spencer's Dodge show room on west Douglas Avenue. He and grandma gave this car to their grandsons Larry and Mike in 1972 with just 47,000 miles on it. It was a really a good car, and very practical, with a 318 cubic inch V8 engine and a futuristic, oblong or squared steering wheel and a push button automatic transmission. They had a '70 or '71 dark blue Dodga Polara that he and grandma gave to granddaughter Karen when they bought a new '78 or '79 2-door silver Chrysler Cordoba. After grandma died in 1990, grandpa bought a maroon 1985 Mercury Grand Marquis station wagon with 50,000 miles on it. I never would have imagined that old station wagon would have such a long and important life, though my dad tended to drive cars a long time. Orlo left the Chrysler and the Mercury to his daughter and son-in-law. Less than a month after Orlo died, on June 19th a terrible hail storm hit and put large dents all over the Chrysler. I'm sure glad grandpa never saw that. The Mercury was west of town so it wasn't hit by the hail. The Chrysler, being a 2-door, was not as practical, so it was later sold. Keeping the Mercury, son-in-law Gene loved the car, always bragging on it saying that Orlo really picked a good one. We think the car always reminded Gene of Orlo, and of course, that would make Gene recall his mother-in-law, Neva. The Mercury was driven to Austin, Texas, and later, western Colorado in 1999. In April of 2007, I drove the Mercury directly behind the hearse at my dad's funeral. In 2009, the 24 year old Mercury was sold for $650. It still ran well. The Mercury was later seen parked near 2nd and Dodge Streets, and next just a block away in the 300 block of north Exposition Street in 2014. I guess they're having a hard time parting with it too. (Larry E. Barnes, grandson of Orlo and Neva.)
Orlo Alvin Miller was born September 21, 1908 in a sod house located about 2-3 miles southwest of Greensburg, Kiowa County, Kansas. The picture of this house is included here. The caption says, "A. B. Miller dugout, Orlo is the one in baby buggy."
Orlo married (Lora) Neva Wheeler on September 30, 1930 in Kinsley, Edwards County, Kansas. Kinsley is located 25 miles north of Greensburg. For reasons not exactly known at this time, Orlo and Neva were married and back in Greensburg before anyone knew anything about them being married. [In 1995, grandson Larry would drive through Greensburg and Kinsley five nights a week on a delivery route for an auto parts company in Wichita.] Neva Wheeler's family had lived in Greensburg since the late 1890's.
Orlo did farm work briefly for Raleigh Puyear on Raleigh and Ophelya's farm which was located about 3 miles northeast of Johnson, Kansas. Ophelya was Neva's older sister. Orlo, Neva and Vada lived in a bunk house on this farm during that time, which was also during the difficult and scary dust bowl times. Neva hung damp sheets over Vada's crib and also hung damp sheets, and whatever else she could find, in front of windows in an attempt to keep the dust out. During that time they would offen find a very thick layer of dust on their kitchen table in the morning.
While living in Greensburg, Kansas Orlo also worked for a short time for Folsom Wheeler, Neva's older brother, in Folsom's business of moving houses.
At some point, probably in the 1940's, Orlo had a Lincoln Zephyr, which was the basis of a family joke for many years when Folsom's wife, Leona, referred to it as a Lincoln Zipper.
In Wichita, Orlo worked at a flour mill, for a tree trimming business, a chicken slaughter house, and in the "Hammer House" Department at Cessna Aircraft.
When Orlo, Neva and children first moved to Wichita they lived with Orlo's brother Marvin and family at 301 N. Richmond Street. It was during this time that daughter Vada attended Martinson Elementary School located at the southwest corner of 2nd and Athenian Streets, a school that all of her children would later attend. Vada's father-in-law, Harry Barnes also attended Martinson Elementary in 1913. Orlo and family next moved to 1843 S. Washington Street where they rented 1/2 of the house with a family possibly named Danby. They next bought a house located at 1920 S. Sante Fe Street. In 1950, Orlo and Neva paid $6,000 for the house at 2106 S. Gold Street in Wichita, a house they lived in for the rest of their lives.
Around 1965 to 1966, Orlo suffered a heart attack. He had been a light cigarette smoker for years. The doctor told him to stop smoking. Just like that, he quit smoking. Done. Another doctor put him on a low fat diet. Done. Neva cooked him meals that followed those requirements. Another thing about Orlo and Neva - they understood that doctors, though imperfect, knew what they were talking about.
In 1971 Orlo retired as an engineer, having worked 21 to 23 years at pumping stations for City Service Gas Company. He worked rotating shifts (1st through 3rd) at this job. As a retirement gift from the company, Orlo received some sort of a chrome plated valve mounted on a wood base with an engraved plaque mentioning his years of service. He also received retirement pay from this company. One pumping station where he worked was located at the southeast corner of Seneca and McArthur Streets, and another is still located on south Meridian Street, north of the east-west road that also runs right through the town of Clearwater. City Service was later known as Williams Gas Company, a large natural gas supplier.
Orlo and Neva were definitely neat and orderly people. Grandma (Neva) took meticulous care of the inside of the house and did all of the cooking. Orlo had his tools organized in his garage. Originally, their house on Gold Street had an attached one-car garage on the north side of the house. In the 1960's this garage was converted to a family room by son-in-law Gene Barnes and his father Harry. This family room had a raised, wood floor so there was no step-down, and was connected to their small dining room, making one fairly large room containing a large couch, three or four chairs and a small television. During this conversion, a large picture window and awning was installed on the east wall of the dining room which gave them a great view of the backyard and that part of the neighborhood. Orlo spent about as much time in these rooms as in any other part of their house. This house was heated by a floor furnace located near the two bedrooms near the south end of the house, and a wall furnace located in the family room on the north wall of the house. Between these furnaces, the house was comfortable during cold weather. Orlo refused to wear a long-sleeved shirt or sweater in the house during the winter. He'd just turn up the furnaces. This house was cooled by a large window air conditioner on the north wall of the dining room and a small window air conditioner in their bedroom. Some time shortly after the garage was converted into a family room in the 1960's, a one-car garage was built on the alley on the east, which I think was mostly built by Orlo and son Mel. Not long after, a car port was added to the south side of the garage, and then another car port added beside the first one. Over the years grandsons Larry and Chuck temporarily parked cars under the 2nd car port. Around 1980, Orlo, Gene and several of the grandsons assembled a metal tool shed located just west of their garage where Orlo kept some of his tools and lawn equipment. He was particular about their lawn always keeping the grass neatly mowed and trimmed. Most years they kept a garden in the southeast corner of their backyard. Though never interested in reading books, Orlo read the paper every day, practically from front to back, and until recent years there was also an evening paper for him to read, The Wichita Beacon. Orlo didn't really have any big hobbies, something he actually seemed to be pretty comfortable with. In fact it was a family joke that he was very difficult to buy for during birthdays and Christmas. As a result, he had a very good supply of socks, belts and wallets. Someone, maybe grandma, bought him a bowling ball after he was retired, but that didn't interest him. Orlo liked all family get togethers and liked getting cards on his birthday, but if a gift was the least bit expensive he would say that they shouldn't have spent so much. He fished a little when there were family get togethers at a lake, but didn't really fish otherwise. Orlo, Neva, Mel and the Gene and Vada Barnes family made a trip to the Pratt Fish Hatchery and several of us, including Orlo, fished that day.
Orlo enjoyed keeping track of the weather, weather forecasts and rainfall, keeping a close eye on the raingage in their backyard, their outdoor thermometer and the 7 ft. tall windmill located outside their dining room picture window. Several of us family members assembled and installed the windmill.
After retirement Orlo would occasionally go for walks around the neighborhood, sometimes taking a metal rod used not as a cane but to keep dogs away. Following retirement, Orlo was known to get a haircut about every 2 weeks, in fact, sometimes so often grandma wondered how the barber was finding any hair to trim. Orlo spoke of going to the barbershop located on the southwest corner of Harry and Palisade Streets, about 5-6 blocks due north of their house. It still operates as a barbershop today (2013).
Orlo was a family man and was serious about being a good husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. He and grandma were never very far from each other. He enjoyed his family, and had a good time playing with his grandkids and seeing them with a new toy at a birthday or Christmas. He really had a big time with the little kids. When he got together with his brothers they'd generally play cards, joking around. Orlo was an early to bed, early to rise kind of a guy. He might see part of the 10 o'clock news and then turn in for the night. No late night movies or talk shows for him. He didn't attend church services like Neva, but you never heard him use a bad word and thought everyone should be honest. If he didn't know who you were you'd generally have to earn his trust. Grandpa didn't like beards, thought they made people look awful. When his son Mel grew a beard for a few days, or weeks, Orlo would ask him when he was going to shave that thing off. Orlo shaved every day, you wouldn't see him needing a shave! When it came to politics, he was a strong Republican. Generally, Orlo wouldn't watch any movie, but watched local TV news and weather. When we were kids, they would watch TV westerns such as Maverick with James Garner. Orlo liked Rowan and Martin's "Laugh-in," a very popular show of the late 1960's. Maybe appearances by Richard Nixon, Jack Benny and Danny Kaye on Laugh-in made Orlo take notice? Orlo did enjoy watching college and pro football and boxing on TV. I remember watching several championship fights at their house on Saturday afternoons when boxing championships fights were televised live on ABC's "The Wide World of Sports."
Orlo was not a fan of cats. As a joke, Jeananna, wife of Orlo's grandson Chuck, hung a picture of a ugly cat in the house when Orlo was busy talking to others. In a day or so, Jeananna got a call from Orlo saying that someone placed a picture of an ugly cat in his house. Of course he knew who'd played the joke on him. Jeananna continues this prank by placing a figure of cat on his side of their cemetery marker every Memorial Day Weekend.
I remember grandpa (Orlo) had what I think was a '53 Ford 2-door he used as a work car. They had a red and white 2-door '56 Ford Fairlane which they'd bought new and drove for a number of years. He bought a new powder blue '63 Dodge Polara that was displayed in the Spencer's Dodge show room on west Douglas Avenue. He and grandma gave this car to their grandsons Larry and Mike in 1972 with just 47,000 miles on it. It was a really a good car, and very practical, with a 318 cubic inch V8 engine and a futuristic, oblong or squared steering wheel and a push button automatic transmission. They had a '70 or '71 dark blue Dodga Polara that he and grandma gave to granddaughter Karen when they bought a new '78 or '79 2-door silver Chrysler Cordoba. After grandma died in 1990, grandpa bought a maroon 1985 Mercury Grand Marquis station wagon with 50,000 miles on it. I never would have imagined that old station wagon would have such a long and important life, though my dad tended to drive cars a long time. Orlo left the Chrysler and the Mercury to his daughter and son-in-law. Less than a month after Orlo died, on June 19th a terrible hail storm hit and put large dents all over the Chrysler. I'm sure glad grandpa never saw that. The Mercury was west of town so it wasn't hit by the hail. The Chrysler, being a 2-door, was not as practical, so it was later sold. Keeping the Mercury, son-in-law Gene loved the car, always bragging on it saying that Orlo really picked a good one. We think the car always reminded Gene of Orlo, and of course, that would make Gene recall his mother-in-law, Neva. The Mercury was driven to Austin, Texas, and later, western Colorado in 1999. In April of 2007, I drove the Mercury directly behind the hearse at my dad's funeral. In 2009, the 24 year old Mercury was sold for $650. It still ran well. The Mercury was later seen parked near 2nd and Dodge Streets, and next just a block away in the 300 block of north Exposition Street in 2014. I guess they're having a hard time parting with it too. (Larry E. Barnes, grandson of Orlo and Neva.)
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