2008-09-03
Lewis worked as a mechanic in
Columbia until 1974 when he married
Susan Consalus and moved to Clinton. In Clinton he was the service
manager for the Chevrolet dealership and eventually opened his own 7-bay
garage, Miller Auto Service. He also owned 225 acres near Leeton
where he had a cow/calf operation, built fence and baled a lot of hay.
In 1994 the Millers moved to
Boonville, where Lewis spent his childhood, to take care of Lewis's mother,
who had Alzheimer's Disease. When a favorite historic home came up
for sale, they decided to stay in Boonville permanently, sold all their
property in Clinton, and bought "The
Bell House." So...restoring a historic home has been a priority for
Lewis and Susan since 1998, and they're nearly finished.
Another priority has been a growing interest in family history. Lewis's ancestor, Henry Mitchell, immigrated to Chicago in 1834 and built a wagon manufacturing company in Racine, Wisconsin, that expanded into an automobile company after the turn of the century. The Mitchell automobile was manufactured from 1903 to 1923, when the company folded. Lewis's family had sold their stock in 1916, so he can put the responsibility for the company's failure on "outsiders" rather than family members. Lewis's Mitchell collection has grown to include three wagons (1860, 1880, 1890), a bicycle (1886), and five cars (1904, 1907, 1911, 1914 and 1920). He'd love to add a motorcycle, but only three are known to exist.
Living in Boonville has its benefits
-- the quiet friendliness of a small town, but close enough to Columbia
to be able to take advantage of the activities offered. Tiger
football and basketball are both very popular in the Miller household,
and Lewis has two children, Michelle and Keith, both living in Columbia.
Keith is married to Amy Modrell and they have a nine-year-old daughter,
Elaine, so if you run into Lewis at a fourth grade violin recital, you'll
know why!
Susan - Lewis - Mitch
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