General Notes

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Local and Personal
"Colonel Miller of Flint Hill, who has been ill for several weeks, has so
far recovered as to come to town Monday.(1)
(1) The Chronicle, Flint Hill News, 24 Mar 1911, p. 5.  Published in
Rockford, Coosa Co., AL. Microfilm: Located in the Alabama Archives and
History, Montgomery, AL.
Attended Birmingham Southern College for 2 years.  He intended to teach,
but had to quit due to problems with his leg.
In July when they were "laying crops", he was the water boy.  He had a
white jug for the white workers and a black jug for the black workers.
While someone was drinking, he hit a colt on the side and it kicked him.
It broke the front bone and left a hole in the front of his shin which
never healed and had to be "dressed" daily for the rest of his life.
He was a Mason.  He belonged to Chapter 542 in Rockford, AL. and a member
of the Eastern Star.
He was born in the community of Bentleyville, Coosa County, AL.  The
community was between Netiechipco Creek and Jack Creek close to Flint
Hill.  The family had 2200 acres of land and several businesses.  They
grew cotton, corn, peaches, and apples. They had tenant houses, a store,
a cotton gin, gristmill, sawmill and a shingle mill.  They also raised
horses and had stud horses.   His mother ran the community store/post
office, just across the road from the homeplace.  She was the
postmistress.  She sold everything imaginable, including alcohol (it was
shipped in). The family was considered well-off and had the first cars in
the area.
Lived in Bentleyville when first married and when his son, Coston Beaty
Miller, was born (actually was born in home of Tom Jack and Agnes Beaty).
They lived in the "Granny House" just down the road from the main house.
When the boll weevil arrived in the community, the economy got so bad
that he went to work for Dan Martin Construction Company as a bookkeeper.
His parent's attended the Baptist Church, but he and all the other
children preferred the Methodist Church.  His brother, Butler, wanted to
preach and the Black man who lived with the boys in "The bull pen"
advised to become a Methodist preacher because the Baptist would move him
everywhere and not take care of him as the Methodist would.
He transferred his membership to Parkdale Methodist Church after
marrying.  He was Chairman of the Board of Stewards.  He transferred  his
membership to First United Methodist Church in Huntsville in 1974.
Yearly he went to Rockford to serve as a Grand Juror.  Also in charge of
the voting booth in the Mt. Olive Community.
Lived in Goodwater area until February 4, 1974, when he moved with his
wife to Huntsville, AL to be near his son.
His funeral was by and at Laughlin Funeral Home in Huntsville.  Reverend
Jerry Sisson officiated.  Was buried in Maple Hill Cemetery.
He went by the nickname "Colonel" but never served in the military.  We
all called him "Chicken".  The nickname began when he called Patsy (his
granddaughter), his "Little Bitty".  When his great grandchildren came
along he called them his "Baby Chicks".
He and Leora lived for a while at the Smith house.  (Was possibly a
tenant house).
In 1920, right after they married, T. F. (Colonel) and Leora lived with
his mother and sisters in the Miller homeplace in Bentlyville, AL. During
this time Colonel and his brother, Vesta, took a job in the mica and
graphite mine.  Colonel and Vesta took their new wives to Quincy, AL and
set up camp.  Quincy then was a desolate area known for its moonshine
whiskey.  The smoke from the stills could be seen rising into the air on
a regular basis.  The moonshiners would stand and watch the newcomers
with great suspicion, their shotguns always at hand.  A  large tent was
set up with two cots.  Colonel and Leora slept on one and Vesta and
Lorene (his wife), shared the other.  There was a three sided shed on
their premises that was used to store fo