Wilbur Miller

Wilbur was raised by the Ambrose Miller family of Ridgeville Township. His brother lived for some years with the Andrew Miller family. Wilbur was born August 2, 1904, and graduated from Napoleon High School in 1924. He received a Bachelor's Degree in education from Bowling Green State University in 1932, and a Master's Degree at the University of Michigan in 1937.

His teaching career included seven years at Napoleon teaching physical education, general science and geography, in addition to coaching basketball and football. He taught in Toledo fifteen years, where two years were spent as a coach at Waite High School, and the other thirteen years as supervisor of elementary physical education in twenty-four schools. In the 1960's, Mr. Miller returned to care for his ailing parents and taught in the Archbold schools until 1969.

During World War II, Mr. Miller served 32 months in the Navy as a pharmacist's mate. His main job was in malaria control in the South Pacific.

Mr. Miller had been active in Boy Scouting since 1927 and was a Silver Beaver award holder for outstanding work with Scouts as an adult. During 1950-1951 he was an exchange teacher in Scarborough, England, and took advantage of the opportunity to take the Boy Scout Wood Badge course in Gilwell Park, the spot where international scouting originated. After returning to the United States, Wilbur served at the national training center for professional Scouters in Menden, New Jersey, as quartermaster for the duration of six national Wood badge courses.

For fifteen years he spent his summers as dining hall director and swimming director at Camp Miakionda. He was part of a local tour to the National Boy Scout Reservation at Cimarron, New Mexico, and in 1957 was leader of a Boy Scout contingent attending the National Jamboree at Valley Forge.

Wilbur Miller was known to many as an antique collector. He displayed some antiques in a show at Northwest Technical College and later taught several courses on antiques in the school's adult program.

In 1972, Mr. Miller decided he would do something for the young people of northwest Ohio. Having no really close relatives, Mr. Miller willed his house, barn and forty acre farm left him by his adoptive parents, and valued at about $135,000, to Northwest Technical College located in Ridgeville Township about three miles from Mr. Miller's home. Officials at the college said it was the first time in the college's seven year history that it had received a bequest. The school serves Fulton, Henry, Williams, and Defiance Counties. Mr. Miller agreed that the land could be sold to help finance a project for the school. The land will be retained until a project is decided upon.

The contents of the home, including many valuable antiques, was auctioned at the technical school on July 25, and 26, 1975 and brought in $29,800. The proceeds will be used to set up a scholarship fund in the name of Freddy Stamm, a young man Mr. Miller had befriended and helped through school. Wilbur had befriended many boys during his years as a teacher. Freddy died as the result of an accident several years ago.

David Lightner, vice president for business affairs at the college said Mr. Miller chose Northwest Technical because the school has the flexibility to institute programs in which Mr. Miller was interested.

Mr. Miller never married. He died May 21, 1975, and is buried in Locust Grove Cemetery next to his parents.

Submitted by Genevieve Eicher