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After Dinner with RC and the Family

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  RJ Miller, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, 1963 (One might note that RJ’S depiction of these three worthies is the only one that shows them debating)   Life after Dinner, with Grandpa Richard Miller and our family     When you are young and in a tight-knit family, you naturally feel that other families are just like yours. Then one goes out in the world and finds things are usually quite different.   I thought it was normal for one’s parents and grandparents to sit around, after a hearty dinner, and spend the evening arguing about ideas and politics. They didn’t drink or listen to music or even watch TV (unless the Buckeyes playing football). Instead, they truly enjoyed working out thoughts, debating history, and commenting on everything from local politics to farm policy. Grandpa Richard Miller was a professor of Agricultural Engineering at Ohio State University, and was famous among students for his unique manner of teaching. Not at all interested in r...
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Photographs : RC Miller

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    Chris:  A charming photo - I just can’t remember ever seeing RC with such a toothy grin. Unlike his son Andy, he seldom saw the world as amusing. But  attending OSU, I got to see him lecture to an auditorium full of male ag students - where he impishly cracked a few jokes about farmers’ wives - something along the line of "durn persnickety females" Wedding photo, 1918 Why were young people so serious back then?      With grandson Bruce With grandson Doug - and his typical aeronautic accessory. RC, Andy, Doug…. And Greg reaching for his six-shooter? With Doug again (Evidentially his favorite grandson - though we might note that it is Doug who is sharing  these photos) His son RJ took these photos of RC presenting some kind of grain drying facility that he designed. Yikes!  This vent is 50 feet high RC, Martha, and Elizabeth with his daughter-in-law, Janet  
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The Philosophy of R.C. Miller

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  It seems appropriate - at least to me - to kick off this blog with "basic thinking" as  RC, our grandfather, and RJ , my father, laid out to me late one evening about sixty years ago.  Apparently they figured that I had finally reached the age of reason. After the plates had been cleared and the dinner table vacated by everyone  except for RC and RJ , they loudly debated God-knows-what.  This was a male only, family tradition dating back as long as I can remember. Voices would be raised and faces would be flushed as the topic bounced around until it was obvious that the only real question was whose thundering voice was more authoritative.  Nothing personal was under  discussion, so nobody’s feelings could get hurt.  And nothing practical was being examined , so nothing of any consequence might follow.   It was a kind of rhetorical calisthenics - like law students practice in moot court.  "Don’t kid yourself !" or “Katie bar the door" w...
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1192 Glenn Ave

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  R.I.P., Norway, Iowa  Photo by Doug Miller What were our ancestors really like? This question never interested me as a young person since I was alive and they were dead. But now, as my life is mostly behind me, I’ve become more curious, and perhaps other descendants will eventually feel the same way. So all of you are invited to post on this blog, just let me know, and I’ll send an official invitation. ******** In addition to R.C. ,  Elizabeth,  and their siblings subject matter might include  all antecedents  as well as those descendants not still with us. ******* Anything from a brief reminiscence to a full fledged biography is welcome, and multiple viewpoints are encouraged in the spirit of the Blind Men and the Elephant Important note: If you post any photos, please make sure the maximum dimension is 800 pixels
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