Kenneth Charles Miller, Sr.

Kenneth Charles Miller, Sr., a proud member of America's Greatest Generation, passed peacefully into heaven on January 3, 2026, at the age of 99. Kenneth was born March 20, 1926, to Bernard and Mary Cycelia Dunzar Miller in Meridian, California, the 9th of 11 children.

From his earliest days, Kenneth embodied the industrious spirit that would define his generation. Growing up in California, he delivered newspapers and worked in his brother's orchards, always finding ways to contribute and earn his keep.

When his country called, Kenneth answered without hesitation. On April 27, 1944, at just 18 years old, he reported for his physical examination to enter the Army. After basic training in Tacoma, Washington, he endured an eleven-day train ride to Newport News, Virginia, followed by a harrowing ocean voyage to Italy—eleven days and twelve nights of seasickness that he shared with fellow passenger Red Skelton, who was equally miserable.

Serving with the 401st Engineers, Kenneth helped assemble and install pontoon and Bailey bridges across war-torn Italy. When the troop's cook was killed, Kenneth volunteered, drawing on his experience washing dishes at the Santa Ana Air Base. He learned to cook on the fly, feeding his fellow soldiers as they advanced to Udine, Italy. There, he and a buddy flipped a coin—tails meant Japan instead of Germany. As they prepared to ship out, word came that the war was over. Kenneth completed his service at Camp Polk, Louisiana, and Fort Sam Houston, Texas, where he attended Bakers and Cooks School before returning to civilian life.

Back home, Kenneth's entrepreneurial spirit flourished. He painted houses, raised rabbits and chickens, owned racehorses, and eventually moved to San Diego where he operated bars and pool halls while buying, renovating, and selling houses—a "house flipper" decades before it became a television phenomenon. A California-to-Kansas trade brought him to a ranch on Bow Creek, and he fell in love with his adopted state.

In Kansas, Kenneth became a fixture of the community, owning and operating the Pla-Mor Pool Hall and Cafe (which he renamed K & V Cafe) and Ken's Pizza. Through it all, he remained a devoted St. Louis Cardinals fan, his loyalty to the Birds on the Bat never wavering through the decades.

Kenneth's greatest joy was his family. He treasured living near his children and grandchildren, delighting in every visit and reveling in their stories, activities, and antics. When he lost his eyesight in 2024, he made the difficult transition to Solomon Valley Manor. Though the adjustment was challenging, he was blessed with amazing caretakers who helped him settle in, and he found contentment in his final months.

Kenneth is preceded in death by his son, Donald, and all his siblings except one sister, Christine Helen Putziger.

He leaves behind his son, Kenneth C. Miller, Jr. (Linda) of Oceanside, California; daughter, Addie M. Foster (Edward) of Stockton, Kansas; nine grandchildren; and seventeen great-grandchildren who will forever cherish his memory.

A funeral service will be held Monday, January 12, 2026, at 11AM at Plumer-Overlease Funeral Home, 723 N. 1st St., Stockton, Kansas. Burial will follow at Bow Creek Cemetery, north of Stockton.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Solomon Valley Manor, 315 S. Ash St., Stockton, KS 67669.