Peter Miller

Peter Gerrard Miller was truly a family man. He loved all of his six children equally and unconditionally, and many of his happiest memories in life involve the forty-nine years he spent with his wife. He had a natural social talent that always left people charmed and smiling, and he was a good friend to the many people he knew throughout his life.

Peter was born on June 6, 1925 in Windsor, Ontario. Only a few years after his birth, his parents Frederick and Gertrude Miller decided to relocate to the United States. They moved to Melvindale, where Peter grew up with the company of his brother Charles, and his sister Roselyn. He lived his childhood during two of the most difficult times in North American history: the Great Depression and the Second World War. At the onset of WWII, Peter promptly enlisted in the United States Coast Guard. Due to a bad hip he was forced to take a medical discharge. Since he was a still a Canadian citizen, he managed to serve in the European theatre by enlisting in the Canadian army. Pete described his service in Italy as "being dropped off at the bottom of Italy and walking to the top" with his platoon. He often said he had done enough walking there to suit him for the rest of his life. After his discharge from the Canadian Army, Peter was granted U.S. citizenship. During this time, Peter had married, and this union blessed him with his first two children. Sadly, the marriage ended in divorce. Pete worked for the railroad for a while, but when another war broke out, the Korean Conflict, he again enlisted with the Marine Corps. This time the armes forces accepted him, and he was soon shipped out to Korea. While there, he began a correspondence with a woman named Nancy White, the former wife of one of Peter’s friends.

Upon receiving news of his discharge, Peter and Nancy decided to get married, and on April 9, 1955 they tied the knot in Dearborn. At his wedding, he said to Nancy, “I can’t promise you wealth, but life won’t be dull,” a promise to which he certainly delivered. Peter and Nancy started life together with a large family: they each had two children from their former marriages, and soon added two more children together. It never felt like a blended family because Peter and Nancy loved and treated all their children equally. Peter was a strict father, a true believer in discipline, but no one ever questioned his love. He tended to have a gruff exterior, but he was always very tender at the heart and his family knew that side of him well. Still, they knew that if they caused any trouble or misbehaved, they’d have to face their father.

When Peter and Nancy were first married, they moved into a house in Lincoln Park. Peter found work with the Scott Paper Company in Detroit as a papermaker. He worked at that job until 1966, when he decided to get himself and his family away from the big city by moving out to Lexington in the thumb area of Michigan. There, he and Nancy purchased Shore Lanes Bowling Alley, which became a family run business as the boys got older. It wasn’t always easy to own the bowling alley—in fact, from the beginning it was difficult. Just after buying Shore Lanes, several major problems surfaced: the roof, the trusses, and even the alleys all needed to be replaced. It was one thing after another, nearly putting Nancy at the breaking point. But Peter remained calm and collected, and he always told her that everything would be fine. The bowling alley turned out to be a good business venture, since Peter loved to work with machinery and to socialize with people. The whole episode taught Nancy the lesson that God is in control and with His help, she and Peter were capable of getting through anything.

After all six children had grown up and moved away, Peter and Nancy relocated to Walhalla. They purchased the Timberlane and Long Lake Resorts, with Nancy’s sister, Lila and her husband Dan Outland. They combined operation of the resorts and together operated them for ten years. Dan and Lila continue to operate them to this day. The resort was another good venture for Pete because, like the bowling alley, it provided him with many mechanical tasks, while also offering time to make conversation with many people. It was his desire to intereact with people that kept Peter from retiring fully. He decided to return to the working world as a gate guard for Epworth Heights in Ludington, a job he held for fourteen years, the last five years of which he spent as a supervisor. He enjoyed this job and the opportunities it presented to meet and greet the many people who passed in and out of his gates.

In his free time, Peter loved to nestle into his spot on the couch and click on the television. His favorite programming was wrestling. He enjoyed his role as a couch potato, and he believed that it was a role he deserved—he’d walked forever in World War II and thus earned a place on the couch. He liked to have company when he was on the couch though, and his favorite company was the babies. He loved babies and had a special way with them. He could always make them laugh and, when it was time, he could get them to sleep. Babies had a special way with Peter too: they could melt his tough exterior in a second.

Throughout his life, Peter was always a people person. He was a wonderful combination of smooth and charming, bold and loud. Just about anything that he said could light up someone’s face with a smile, even if what he had to say wasn't pleasant. He had an old school personality, with a stubborn edge, but he was always there whenever his help was needed. He was a strong father figure to his children, who knew that they could always count on him. His favorite holiday was Christmas because it gave him a chance to be the kid he always remained at heart. He loved to play with toys, and he loved to give them away, first to his children and then to his grandchildren.

Peter Miller died on Sunday, September 19, 2004 at his home in Walhalla at Long Lake resort. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother Charles Miller. He will be lovingly remembered by his wife of 49 years, Nancy, his children Cherrie (Timothy) Laux of Wisconsin, Craig (Christine) Miller of Florida, Kathryn White of Trenton, Kristen (Edward) Olechowski of Woodhaven, Peter (Joan) Miller of Ann Arbor, and Nicholas (Linda) Miller of Baldwin, 18 grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren, his sister Roselyn (Rich) Fabry of Melvindale, his sisters-in-law Mary Miller of Florida, Lila (Dan) Outland of Walhalla, Sheryl Laws-Campeau of Fountain, and Margaret Bramhill of Bellville. A Celebration of Life service will be held at 3:00 PM on Wednesday, September 22 at the Stephens Life Story Funeral Home in Scottville, with Rev. Robert Wrasse of Prayer and Praise Assembly of God Church officiating. Friends may meet with his family for a time of visitation on Wednesday from Noon until time of services at the funeral home. Those who wish may make memorial contributions to Hospice of Michigan ~ Mason County. You may read Peter’s complete Life Story, leave a memory for his family, sign the guestbook, or make a memorial contribution at www.lifestorynet.com. Arrangements are being cared for by the Stephens Life Story Funeral Home.