A. B. "Pappy" Miller, 98, of Tifton passed away Sunday, March 6, 2005, at Southern Care Retirement Home in Tifton. A graveside funeral service was held for Mr. Miller at 2:00 p.m. Wednesday, March 9, 2005, at Rosehill Cemetery in Ashburn, where he was laid to rest. The Rev. Kenneth Kicklighter officiated.
Raymond Fulp, J. B. Moore, DeVaughn Harris, Chase Page, Donald Davis, Roy Jackson, R., Frank McGill and Lance Lever served as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers were members of the Alapaha Fire Department.
Born July 25, 1907, in Kingston, Tennessee, Mr. Miller was the son of the late Absolom Benjamin Franklin Miller and America Belle Littleton Miller. He was also preceded in death by his wife, Ruby V. Wynn Miller; one son, Gerlad Smith; one daughter, Deloris Crutchfield; one brother; and seven sisters. Before retiring, he was a machinist at Tifton Machine Works; and he was the oldest living member of Union Chapel Baptist Church in Kingsland, Tennessee. He was a longtime resident of Tift County.
Mr. Miller was a very avid horseman in the community and had raised horses for many years. He was a member of the Tifton Saddle Club. For more than 20 years, he did various re-enactments for the Pony Express in Alapaha and the Georgia Agrirama and in Plains. He played football for the University of Tennessee in the 1920s and traveled and sang with several gospel groups.
Mr. Miller is survived by two sons, Greg Miller of Augusta and Gordon Clyatt of Cairo; three daughters, Berta Davis of Thomasville and Frances Weikert Loretta Arms, both of Knoxville, Tennessee; eight grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; and one great-great grandchild.