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Maurice Fred Miller, 98, of Gruver, Texas, died Tuesday, October 10, 2017.
Church services were at 11 a.m., Saturday, October 14, 2017, at the United Methodist Church in Gruver, Texas, with the Reverend Steve Chappell officiating. A brief graveside service followed immediately after at the Gruver Cemetery. Arrangements were by Boxwell Brothers Funeral Directors, Spearman, Texas.
“Fred” was born on April 16, 1919, in Hansford County to Joe and Mamie Miller. He was the eldest of six children and was raised in Gruver, Texas. Upon graduating from high school, Fred embarked on a cross-country trip with friends to California, and immediately formed a life-long love for the city of San Francisco.
He moved to San Francisco shortly after that trip, and was working at a magnesium plant when Pearl Harbor was bombed. That served as the impetus for him to join the United States Coast Guard. He was stationed on the Farallon Islands off the coast of San Francisco and assigned to the USS Sea Wolf and the USS Amethyst. As a seaman, his duties included sea rescue, weather reporting, and operation of a Radio Direction Finding station to monitor air traffic between the mainland and Hawaii during WWII.
After being honorably discharged from the Coast Guard, Fred returned to Gruver where he met and married his wife, Frederika “Henny” Wiehink from the Netherlands.
Fred received a B.S. and M.S. from Oklahoma State University in 1953. He graduated first in his class with the highest honors as a member of the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi.
Upon graduation, Fred joined the geophysical exploration department of Continental Oil Company, which provided him with the opportunity to live in and explore many states in the West, Midwest, and South.
After 13 years with Continental, Fred settled in Crowley, Louisiana. For the next 25 years until his retirement in 1991, Fred was on the faculty of Louisiana State University and conducted research at the Rice Research Station located in Crowley. He focused on the agronomic management practices of the rice drying process to increase production and enhance profitability. His research provided him with the opportunity to collaborate with a widespread network of universities conducting rice research in the United States, and travel internationally to share best practices with other rice growing countries.
Upon retirement, Fred returned to Gruver. Fred enjoyed his retirement and continued to travel extensively both domestically and internationally. He was an avid photographer and videographer documenting his many travels. Fred never tired of star gazing in the clear skies of the Texas Panhandle. He also enjoyed many hours of research on his computer, and sharing his findings with family and friends.
Fred was a member of the Goodwell Masonic Lodge Number 521 in Goodwell, Oklahoma.
Fred was preceded in death by his wife, Henny Miller in 1991.
He is survived by a son, Maurice Gene Miller (Christine) of Pensacola, Florida, and a daughter, Mamie Renee Miller of Arlington, Virginia; two grandchildren, Sterling Price Miller and Dana Renee Miller of Pensacola, Florida; and three sisters Loucielle Harvey of Spearman, Texas, Opal Wallin of Gruver, Texas, and Carolyn Bryant of Longview, Texas.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials be sent to the National Parks Foundation at nationalparks.org or 1110 Vermont Ave, NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC, 20005.
Please sign the online guestbook at boxwellbrothers.com.