Written by Connie Miller and Sandra “Sandi” Smith Baker
Ruth Werts Married Forest Miller taken in 1938
for their wedding
Connie Lee Miller was born in April 1939 to Ruth and Forrest Miller. She lived all of her youth in Pitsburg, Ohio. She was made to quit school at Franklin Monroe in the 8th grade and was married at the age of 14. She started a family right away and traveled with her military husband for many years while raising her five children. She traveled to many places around the United States and the World. Her husband was deployed over sees to France and Germany in WWII, and also the Korean Conflict where she went with him. Even though she traveled to many parts of the world, she always had a special place in her heart for her hometown.
Forrest Miller
Connie’s mother and father were not in her life very much as a youth so her grandparents Mina (1887-1963) and Harvey (1884-1949) Werts raised her. Mina was given her family house when her father, Noah (1858-1941) and Malinda Fourman passed away. This house still resides two houses from the corner of Pitsburg-Laura road and Gettysburg-Pitsburg road on the west side. It is now yellow. Mina lived all of her life in this house until her age caught up with her. and she moved into the Brethren’s Retirement Community in Greenville in the 60’s. Connie’s mother, Ruth, owned a house across the alley, but she lived mainly with her grandparents. Mina and Harvey had three daughters, Ruby, Dorothy and Ruth. Ruby and Dorothy graduated from Franklin Monroe in 1937 and 1939, respectively. They lived in or around Pitsburg all their lives until they moved to the Brethren’s Retirement Community to live out the rest of their lives in the 90s and 2000’s.
AJ, Connie, David, Cindy, Aurther, and Debra Miller
Connie’s father was in WWll and served for several years. His boat went down, but he survived. He found his way home and lived a long life. Connie took care of him in his old age.
Connie recalls memories from her 14 years in Pitsburg. She remembers that the field where the ball diamonds are presently, there used to be a big farm house on that property. There used to be a train that ran thru the town that stopped every day. She would go to the train station and play with the typewriter in the station to pass time. She would cross the railroad to get to the fire station where her grandfather was volunteering for the fire department. At age 9 or 10, she went on a fire run with her grandfather and saw a house burn. She cannot recall where the house was but she recalls it scared her so badly she never went with him again. She would attend the Church of the Brethren Church outside town with her grandparents. She was baptized in this church at a young child.
Connie talks about skating above the grocery store with her friends, and watching movies outside every Saturday evening on the side of the hardware store with her grandparents. She got a new bike from her father one year, and she road that bike up and down all streets of Pitsburg. Howard Stutz or possibly his brother. Herb Stutz, put the bike together for her at his garage. She would pass by a post office, fire department, 2 hair salons, a gas station, a granary, the Blue Top restaurant, Dr Heise office, 2 grocery stores, a furniture store, a chicken processing factory, a chicken farm, and 3 churches: one on each end of town and one in the middle of the main street. The doctor’s office was in the middle of town but he would come to her house when something was wrong. She had chicken pox, measle’s and mumps, and he was there every time she needed him. She also recalls that the men used to shoot birds all the time to keep them out of town.
She recalls the love of her grandparents, they never had much money, but they would always feed the “bums” off the train. Her grandmother was the best cook. Their seemed to always be someone that needed food. “Grandma Werts had the biggest heart for helping people.”
As the years went on, different family members lived in the area so she was still able to visit her home town. Her Aunt Ruby lived on State Route 49 for many years. Both of her aunt’s attended Pitsburg Church of the Brethren at many moments in their lives. Her granddaughter lives outside of town by Mote cemetery and her great grandkids attend Franklin Monroe Local School district. Her Grandmother is buried out on Delisle Fourman road and her aunts are buried at Mote cemetery. There is a long history here that will be her family legacy.
Connie would live a joyful and blessed life. She has five children, nine grandchildren, over 20 great grandkids, and 3 great great grandkids. She has 3 sisters and 2 brothers with families of their own and many friends she shares her world with.
Please follow AWTHS blog guidelines. Credit is to be given to the writers, Connie Miller and Sandi Baker. The contents are part of the AWTHS archives.