MARTIN MILLER, SYBIL MARETA - Hansford County, Texas | SYBIL MARETA MARTIN MILLER - Texas Gravestone Photos

Sybil Mareta MARTIN MILLER

Hansford Cemetery
Hansford County,
Texas

William Milton
August 5, 1924-June 9, 2016

Please see military marker

Sybil Mareta Martin
October 15, 1925-August 16, 2014

Married January 12, 1946

Photo, courtesy of Kay Marshall
*Obituary for William
William Milton (Billy) Miller passed from this life on Thursday June 9, 2016, at the age of 91. Memorial Services will be on Saturday June, 25, 2016 at the First Baptist Church in Spearman at 11:00a.m., with Rev. Danny Hendricks, assisted by Rev. Byron Potter. Arrangements are by Boxwell Brothers Funeral Home in Spearman.

He was born August 5, 1924 in Pilot Point, Texas. Billy came to Spearman, Texas with his parents William J. (Bill) and Eddie Faye Miller and his sister Elizabeth Ann in 1932.
Billy graduated from Spearman High School in 1941 and went to college for a semester at North Texas State in Denton before joining the United States Marine Corp in December 1941, at the age of 17. He said, “I had to sign up after Pearl Harbor. I could not have lived with myself if I had not fought for my country!” He served in the South Pacific for 18 months and later attended Texas A&M University for one year of training in radio technology in preparation for serving as a Marine radio operator at a land based military airfield in California. He was home on leave when the Atom bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, and the Marines called him back for discharge. He received an honorable discharge with the rank of Staff Sargent in 1945. He was proud of his service as a Marine as evidenced by the cap he frequently wore and the USMC flag that flew daily right under the Stars and Stripes on a pole in his front yard.

Billy married Sybil Martin in 1946. Both were trained in the newspaper field by his father who started a newspaper in Spearman. The Spearman Reporter was a family enterprise until the death of Mr. Miller in 1967. At this time Billy took over the duties as Editor and Publisher of the Spearman Reporter. In 1968 He purchased the Hansford Plainsman in Spearman and later started the Gruver Statesman in October, 1972. At one time he was publishing three weekly newspapers in Hansford County. Sybil retired after 28 years with the paper, but Billy continued as Editor/Publisher of the local newspaper until his retirement in 1987. He sold all three newspapers to Texas Independent Newspapers, Inc., in April, 1987. After several changes of ownership, the Hansford County Reporter-Statesman, a consolidation of the three papers, continues as a weekly publication serving all of Hansford County.

A member of First Baptist Church, Spearman, Billy was baptized April 5, 1966. He and Sybil were people of strong faith and studied and knew the Scripture well. They loved their church and were driven by the importance of a person’s knowing and trusting Jesus. When they were no longer able to attend services, they did Sunday School lessons with CD recordings and worshiped with the local congregation through FBC’s telecasts of Sunday services.
Billy loved being outdoors. He raised wheat and ran a few head of cattle on his acreage near Old Hansford. He especially enjoyed going to livestock sales with Chip Martin.

He was preceded in death by his parents Bill & Eddie Faye Miller, a sister Elizabeth Ann Miller Hicks and his beloved wife of 69 years, Sybil Martin Miller.

He is survived by a nephew William Stephen Hicks of Fairview, Oklahoma, a niece Brenda Robertson Annen of Nazareth, Texas.

Billy has requested that, in lieu of flowers, any memorials be made to First Baptist Church, P.O. Box 399, Spearman, TX 79081 or your favorite Children’s Home. Source: boxwellbros.com

Contributed on 7/3/20 by neldapat
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Record #: 330634

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Submitted: 7/3/20 • Approved: 7/3/20 • Last Updated: 7/6/20 • R330634-G330632-S3

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