James Thornton Miller (1900 - 1980)

Born 18 Aug 1900 in Larkinsburg Township, Clay, Illinois

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 21 Apr 1980 at age 79 in San Antonio, Texas

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Biography

Thornton was born in 1900, in Larkinsburg Township, Illinois, to James Anderson Miller (1877-1953) and Simmerman-97.

He completed Normal School in Effingham in 1918, and soon after married Green-26124. They had their first daughter, Miller-118033 in 1919.

Soon after the 1920 census, Thornton's new family headed south. They spent some time in Fredericksburg, Texas with his mother, [Simmerman-97] and brother, Chandler, and then moved on to San Antonio. Thornton got involved in the construction industry, and despite his minimal education, he thrived. By the end of his career as a builder, he could claim major buildings throughout San Antonio. At some point during the construction of Alamo Stadium, those in charge discovered that the curved structure of the seating wasn't going to match up when it finally joined. They hired Thornton to "figure it out." Somewhere in his history he had gained the mathemetic skills to "make it work." And it did.

He was a great gardener, and an amazing handy man. He also got into rockhounding, because he found himself so often out in the middle of nowhere planning for some new construction project. He tumbled lots of agate!

He passed away in 1980.

Sources

• Year: 1910; Census Place: Mason, Effingham, Illinois; Roll: T624_286; Page: 2A; Enumeration District: 0182; FHL microfilm: 1374299

• Illinois, County Marriages, 1800-1940. Author: Ancestry.com

• Year: 1920; Census Place: Centralia Ward 4, Marion, Illinois; Roll: T625_391; Page: 10B; Enumeration District: 175; Image: 284

• Year: 1930; Census Place: San Antonio, Bexar, Texas; Roll: 2291; Page: 32B;

• Year: 1940; Census Place: San Antonio, Bexar, Texas; Roll: T627_4204; Page: 5A; Enumeration District: 259-111

• Texas Department of State Health Services; Austin Texas, USA; Texas, Death Certificates, 1903–1982. Author: Ancestry.com