John M. Miller

John Milton "Sonny" Miller, 87, a longtime Bucyrus resident, died Wednesday, April 22, 2020 at Wyandot County Nursing Home.



John was born November 28, 1932 in Bucyrus to the late Hollis B. Miller and Wilma (Crissinger) Miller Bliss. He was a 1950 graduate of Mt. Zion High School and proudly served in the Army from 1953 to 1955 during the Korean Conflict. He married Bettie J. Stephenson on December 31, 1959 and she preceded him in death on March 29, 2006.



John was not afraid of a hard day’s work and throughout his life, often worked six to seven days every week. His work career began at Swan Rubber, working for a short time before founding Miller’s Hardware. He operated the hardware store for about ten years before joining Hall Heating and Cooling, where he was employed for 30 years and specialized in ductwork and instillation.



John was one of the kindest and most gentle individuals you could meet. He put the needs of others before his, and treated his wife Bettie, like the lady she was. Together, they enjoyed bowling, and bowled in various leagues at both Crawford and Suburban Lanes. John was very mechanical and creative and often used what other would consider trash to create something useful. He was big into HO Scale Model trains and spent years creating things to add to his train experience. John also enjoyed traveling to various auctions, where he’d purchase items and eventually resell them at garage sales. This allowed him the opportunity to socialize with others which is the main reason he did what he did. He was a member of the American Legion, Post 181 and the VFW 1078.



John is survived by a stepson, Tim Ringle; stepdaughter, Denise Orth; many step-grandchildren and great grandchildren as well as a sister, Neva (Charles) Holman. He was preceded in death by a stepdaughter, Sandra Lewis, stepdaughter-in-law, Nancy Ringle; stepson-in-law, Mike Orth and his sister and her husband, Yvonne and Ron Larch.



A graveside funeral will be held at 2:00 pm Friday, April 24 at Oakwood Cemetery with Pastor Mike Corwin officiating and Military Rites will be provided by the US Army Honor Guard and the Bucyrus Veterans Military Funeral Detail.



Donations can be made payable to the Alzheimer’s Association of a charity of the donor’s choice. These gifts will be accepted through Wise Funeral Service or during his service.