John Horace Miller John Horace Miller was born Aug. 23, 1904, in Mike, Chariton County, the son of Henry Fredric and Barbara Elizabeth "Bessie" Dowell Miller. He passed away at 1:15 a.m. Friday, Jan. 9, 2004, in Citizens Memorial Healthcare Facility. Horace graduated from Brookfield High School at Brookfield in 1925 and worked at the photography studio nearby. He secretly made copies of the pictures that were used in the school annuals for himself. In 1926, the family moved to a farm outside of Pleasant Hope. He met and later married his sweetheart of 73 years, Georgia Marie Chapman, daughter of John P. Chapman and Allie Sarah Burdett, on March 17, 1928, at Rock Prairie Church, Polk County. They made their home outside of Pleasant Hope, and in 1932 they bought 80 acres of timber close to the Rock Prairie Church and School and built their home there. He began working for the school when he hauled wood from Rock Prairie to Pleasant Hope School, using a four-horse team and wagon, through all kinds of weather, including rain and mud. In 1935, Horace started driving a van to Pleasant Hope High School with boys and girls who wanted to attend high school. After two years, he built a regular school bus and continued to drive a school bus for 30 years. In 1941, they moved to Pleasant Hope and in 1950 they moved to the Yates place just north of the school where they lived for 10 years. In 1962, Horace and Georgia decided to buy mobile homes to rent, and in 1970, their ownership of these homes had grown to 16, in two mobile home parks. For many years, Horace would load up his school bus with community youth and take the youth to Springfield to see a movie. Those who rode the bus got in to see the movie for a dime because he had arranged a discount at the theater for the youth. Horace has been a pillar of the Pleasant Hope community for as long as many can remember. He was the water commissioner for many years, the mayor and played an active part in the city council, serving as city clerk and treasurer for 50 years and was instrumental in the creation of the city's sewer system. He took pride in giving back to his community and was especially proud of the city water system that he was instrumental in getting, and the new city park, where he was honored in the opening ceremony when the mayor presented him with a key to the city. He proudly carried that key with him and showed it of f to everyone he saw. At the age of 90, he was awarded "Southwest Missouri's Older Worker of the Year" award. Both he and Georgia enjoyed the Christmas parades where they showed their ponies and hand-made wagons that Horace had made. He had taken up the hobby of raising Shetland ponies at the age of 70 and enjoyed it immensely. Riding in the Bolivar and Pleasant Hope parades was a joy for them, as they dressed in the pioneer clothing and brought a sense of history to the area. They won many awards, which also made Horace proud. Both he and Georgia were members of the First Baptist Church in Pleasant Hope and attended faithfully until their health did not permit it. He was saved at a young age and became a deacon and trustee in his church. He lived a Christ-like life throughout his 99 years and was a true example of a Christian husband and father. He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife of 73 years, two brothers and one sister. Horace is survived by two sons and their wives, Chester and Mary Ann Ferguson Miller of Forsyth and John and Lanita Sconce Miller of Wichita, Kan.; one daughter and her husband, Velma and Jim Stevens of Pleasant Hope; one sister, Jean Thaden of Bolivar; two grandsons, two granddaughters, one great-grandson, nieces, nephews and a host of friends and neighbors. Services were Sunday, Jan. 11, in the First Baptist Church in Pleasant Hope. Music was provided by Mark Sconce as soloist and Wandalea Sconce as pianist. Casketbearers were Mickey Hillenburg, Patrick Murphy, Larry Cowden, Wes Campbell, Dwight Kibby and Rick Davis. Burial was in the Pleasant Hope Cemetery under the direction of the Butler Funeral Home of Bolivar.