Person:Curtis Miller (1)

Curtis Jack MILLER, born October 18, 1908, was the 6th child of Frank and Hannah McBride Miller. Like the other Miller children, he was born at home and the birth was not recorded with the county at that time. A Delayed Birth Record was made in 1953 with evidence from his high school record plus testimony from Erie friends Ralph McBride (no relation) and Roy M. Cocking. The 1930 census shows Curtis at age 21 living at home in Erie with his mother, four brothers, grandmother Malinda, uncle George Francis, and foster child Buddy Krause. He worked as a laborer at odd jobs. Curtis served in a military unit during the WW II when he was in his early 30’s. He married Lucha “Luz” MEZA on October 18, 1954, in Brownsville, TX. Nothing is known about Luz, except that she met Curtis when he went to South Texas as a man of leisure to spend the winter months fishing in the years following his discharge from the military. John S. Miller reported that “Curt received a military disability pension, but I don’t recall knowing of any particular physical injury. He suffered from severe headaches, and was institutionalized intermittently during his later life. He and Lucia (for some reason the phonetic spelling, “Lucha”, caught on in our family, but she signs herself “Luchia”) lived in Peoria for a number of years in an apartment house owned by Ira and Mabel. I last saw Lucia at Dad’s funeral, and I believe she may still be in Peoria.” Curtis died in 1993 as in inpatient of the Calvin Johnson Nursing Home in Belleville, IL, of chronic renal failure of three years with complications of hypertension and anemia. His death certificate reports that he worked as a laborer for the county; was divorced; had graduated from high school, and lived at 727-17th St., Belleville, IL. The date of his divorce from Lucia is unknown. SS#253-14-2034; issued in Georgia. Lucha MEZA, who preferred the nicknames Luz or Lula, or Luchia, met Curtis when he went to South Texas as a “snowbird” = a northerner who went south for warmer weather during the winter months. Her name appears on her marriage certificate with Curtis, but, other than the short comments above, nothing is known about her or her family other than she was Hispanic. Even with her distinctive name, I was unable to find her in the Social Security Death Records. However, she may have changed her name when she divorced Curtis. Larry Curtis is the only known child of this couple., , ,

1. ↑ Delayed record of birth; State File 3 200720..
2. ↑ Illinois Death certificate: state file number 93 030583; Reg. District 82.1, Reg. number 774..
3. ↑ Death Certificate State file number 93 030583, reg. district number 82.1, registered number 774..
4.   1930 census; dwelling 231, family 233, ED 7, enumerated April 10, 1930, Erie, Whiteside Co., IL..
5.   Email from John S. Miller; 7/18/2002; jsm@n4vu.com.
6.   Marriage license number 11262..