Obituary: Arthur W. Miller - Class of 1940

MONONA - Arthur W. Miller, age 81, of Monona, passed away peacefully at his home, on Monday, Feb. 28, 2005. He was born on May 3, 1923, in Madison, to Jacob and Sarah (Tartakowsky) Miller, both emigrants from Russia. Art was raised in Madison's Greenbush neighborhood, and graduated from Madison Central High School in 1940. During World War II, he served in the U.S. Army with the Battery D of the 500th A.A.A. Gun Battalion stationed in Greenland. Upon his return, Art held various jobs before becoming a salesman for local car dealerships including Schappe, Lou Ehlers, Zimbrick Buick and Ahrens Cadillac-Olds, garnering many awards over the years for his salesmanship and integrity. On Dec. 31, 1958, he married Nancy Jean Adkison of Madison, and soon settled in Monona and raised a family. A lifetime member of the local Elks Club, Art enjoyed watching and attending Packers games, boating on Madison lakes, playing cards with the old Greenbush gang, and taking his family on yearly vacations in northern Wisconsin. In later years, he and Nancy enjoyed trips to Las Vegas, Fort Lauderdale, and a Caribbean cruise with their daughter and her husband. A lifelong backer of Badgers sports teams, Art and Nancy also traveled to Pasadena for the 1994 Badgers victory at the Rose Bowl. He is survived by his wife, Nancy; three children, Randy (Linda) Miller of Lodi, David (Monica Piper) Miller of Madison, and Marcy (Jon) Brandt of Rochester, Minn.; seven grandchildren, Nicole, Tyler, Cassandra, Oona, Otto, Dana and Matthew; a sister, Edythe (Nate) Victor of Minneapolis, Minn.; a sister-in-law, Alyce Adkison; two brothers-in-law, Merle Freiman and Don (Carolyn) Doran; and many nieces and nephews. Art was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Edward (Shirley) of Milwaukee, Marty (Beverly) of Waunakee, and Marvin (Bea) of Simi Valley, Calif.; and a sister, Cele (Harry) Kadwit of Kenosha. Funeral services will be held at GUNDERSON EAST FUNERAL HOME, 5203 Monona Drive, at 10 a.m. on Monday, March 7, 2005. Burial will be at Roselawn Memorial Park. Visitation will be at the funeral home from 2 p.m. until 5 p.m. on Sunday, March 6, 2005. Gunderson East Funeral & Cremation Center (608) 221-5420

Originally published in the Wisconsin State Journal on March 4, 2005