TULSA — Vernon Edwin Miller, 88, of Tulsa, formerly of Mound Valley, died at 9:30 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 19, 2010, at the Tulsa Nursing Center in Tulsa.

He was born Nov. 4, 1921, in Benton County, Iowa, the seventh of eight children, to Philip J. and Emilia (Buettner) Miller. He was a graduate of Vinton High School in Vinton, Iowa. During World War II, he joined the U.S. Army where he defended his country 44 months in the field artillery.

In February 1946, he returned to the United States from the Philippine Islands and married his sweetheart, Shirley Johnava Bradbury, on March 17, 1946. After marriage, he joined the Bradbury Motor Co. with his father-in-law, John R. Bradbury. His family lived in Mound Valley until moving to Denver in 1970.

While living in Colorado, the family enjoyed fishing, hunting and exploring the mountains. Vernon loved traveling and had visited all 50 states in the United States as well as Canada, Mexico and several countries in Europe and the Pacific. Following his retirement in 1987, they moved to Grove, Okla., and in 2000 to Tulsa when Vernon’s health began to fail.

He was a member of the Mound Valley United Methodist Church, a 50-plus year member of the Masons and a 32nd degree member of the Fort Scott Consistory.

Survivors include his ever-loving wife of 64 years, Johnava Miller of the home, Tulsa; two grandchildren, Michael Miller of Dallas and Michelle Mann and her husband, Eddie, of Oklahoma City; two great-grandchildren; a sister, Leona Seboldt of Van Horne, Iowa; and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, neighbors and friends.

He was preceded in death by a son, Wallis Kent Miller in 2007; and two infant daughters, Shirley Kathleen and Nicola Jane Miller.

The service will be at 10 a.m. Monday at the United Methodist Church in Mound Valley. Burial will be in Mound Valley Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 3 to 4 p.m. Sunday at Bath-Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home in Altamont.

Memorials are suggested to the American Cancer Society. These may be left at or mailed to the funeral home, P.O. Box 325, Altamont, 67330.

Online condolences may be left at www.forbeshoffman.com.