Living

Notes:

Volume 14 of the STRIFFLER-BENKELMAN BROADCAST, dated September 3, 1951, reported that Bob Miller was in Air Corp and was stationed in San Antonio, Texas. Volume 15 of the same periodical noted he had been moved to Casablanca, Africa. In 1953, when Volume 16 was published, he ws stationed at a radar station in Billings. It was reported in Volume 18 that he had been honorably discharged from the Air Force.

Obituary

Bob Dean Miller, age 73, of Billings, MT, died at home on May 4, 2001 of cancer. He was born December 9, 1927 in Ingomar, MT to Kathryn and Harry Miller. He grew up ranching in Sand Springs, MT. He served in the Air Force and received an honorable discharge. Bob married Florence Schultz in 1954 and together they had five children. Bob was employed as a Greyhound Bus Driver for 33 years, retiring in January of 1990.

Bob was preceded in death by his parents, Harry and Kathryn Miller, his brother Jack and his sister Phyllis.

Bob was a loving husband and father. He is loved and will be greatly missed.

Bob married Living [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

The Striffler-Benkelman Broadcast, Volume 11, published September 6, 1948, reported that Mr. and Mrs. H.L. Miller had purchased a new home near Billings, Montana. Their eldest sons, Jack and Bob, were on the ranch near Sand Springs.

Obituary

Harry L. Miller, 99, of 1805 Mary St., died Wednesday, Jan. 29, 1992, in Glendeen Nursing Home.

He was born May 4, 1892, in Lemon, S.D., a son of Earl and Lillian Robinsen Miller. He married Kathryn Zinnecker May 19, 1923, in Jordan, Mont. They ranched at Jordan until moving to Billings in 1948. He raised, trained and raced thoroughbred horses.

Survivors include his wife, Kathryn of Billings; four sons, Jack, Bob and Don, all of Billings, and Joe of Shepherd; two daughter, Evelyn Miller of Stillman Valley, Ill, and Dorothy Mortensen of Helena; 15 grandchildren; and 13 great-grandchildren.

No services are planned. Smith Downtown Chapel is in charge of cremation.

Memorials: Alzeheimer's Disease, c/o Bob Redpate, 3490 Rimrock Road, Billings 59102.

Harry married Kathryn Zinnecker on 19 May 1923 in Jordan, Garfield County, Montana. Kathryn (daughter of George Henry Zinnecker and Lydia Striffler) was born on 13 May 1905 in Brookfield Township, Eaton County, Michigan; died on 28 Mar 1999 in Billings, Yellowstone County, Montana. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Volume 12 of the STRIFFLER-BENKELMAN BROADCAST, dated September 5, 1949, reported that "Nellie's Post" a thoroughbred colt they owned and raised, won the second annual Montana Breeder's Futurity, and by doing so he is called the Champion running horse in Montana for 1949. The purse was about $1700.

Kathryn E. Miller

Kathryn E. Miller, age 93, of Billings died Sunday, March 28, 1999. She was born May 13, 1905, at Brookfield, Mich., the daughter of George and Lydia (Striffler) Zinnecker. At an early age she moved with her family to Eastern Montana. On May 19, 1923, she married Harry L. Miller in Jordan, Mont. They later moved to Billings.

Survivors include three son, Bob D. and wife Florence of Billings; Joe of Shepherd and Don of Billings; two daughters, Dorothy J. and husband Cork Mortensen of Helena, and Evelyn J. Miller of Stillman Valley, Ill; 15 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren.

Kathryn was preceded in death by her husband in 1992, son Jack, daughters Phyllis K. Standley, three brothers and two sisters.

Private graveside services will be held at Sunset Memorial Gardens. Smith's Downtown Chapel in charge of arrangements.

Her granndaughter, Tina Miller Wright, remembers "seeing her in 3 places. The garden, the kitchen and the grocery store. She always had flowers and a great garden. She would let us pick a pepper or rhubarb or whatever was ready. She would send us home with cut flowers wrapped in a wet paper towel. She had beautiful lilacs, peonies, iris, etc.She was an excellent cook. Her cookies, popcorn balls, bread, english muffins, and most recipes were in her head. She always made Snitchbrot for Christmas. She said it wasn't hard to be a good cook, you just had to use good things to cook with. She was the cleanest woman, I ever knew. Everything neat and in it's place."

Notes:

Lorraine Smith Benkelman transcribed the following letters from Salome to her brother, George Albert


November 29, 1888

Today is Sam and Mary's wedding day. Rev. N. Wienderlich performs the ceremony. I was not invited. Did you know Mr. Champion died last week. Archie has no hired man at present. Elmer Eastman was working for him but he is gone. Johnnie Zinnecker is going to work for his board this winter and go to school. George Zinnecker is a worker here now. Jake Striffler and family have gone to New York on a visit. Mrs. Waldon has a pair of artificial feet.


The son of John Zinnecker.

Cass City Chronicle
Friday, May 19, 1911
Page Four
Local Items

Mrs. George Zinnecker and family, who have been the guests of relatives here for the past week, left Tuesday for Saginaw where they will make their future home.

Art Peck writes that in 1913, the family moved from Michigan to Devil's Lake, North Dakota in an immigrant wagon. George and Lydia later moved to Garfield County, Montana in 1918, where George engaged in ranching. In 1929, they moved to Lewiston, where he was employed as a carpenter for U.S. Gypsum in Heath. He and Lydia moved to Moore in 1937, where they spent there remaining years.

According the the 1941 issue of the Striffler-Benkelman Broadcast (Vol. 5, September 1, 1941), reported he and his wife were erecting a new home in Moore.

George married Lydia Striffler on 22 Nov 1893 in Cass City, Tuscola County, Michigan. Lydia (daughter of Jacob Striffler and Luise "Louisa" Benkelman) was born on 20 Nov 1874 in Cass City, Tuscola County, Michigan; died on 7 Mar 1957 in Billings, Yellowstone County, Montana; was buried in Moore Cemetery, Moore, Fergus County, Montana. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Moore Resident Dies in Billings

Mrs. Lydia Zinnecker, 82, resident of Moore nearly 28 years, died of a heart ailment at 1:37 a.m. Thursday in a Billings hospital. She entered the hospital Wednesday night.

She had been visiting two weeks in the home of a daughter, Mrs. Harry Miller of Billings, Rt. 3, when she became ill.

The body was taken to the Creel Funeral Home in Lewiston where funeral services at 3 p.m. Saturday will be conducted by the Rev. Raymond Ginther of the Moore Presbyterian Church. Burial will be in Moore Cemetery.

Mrs. Zinnecker was born Nov. 20, 1874, in Cass City, Mich., daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Striffler. She was married to George Zinnecker in Cass City Nov. 22, 1893, and they lived in Michigan until 1912.

They then went to Starkweather, N. D., where they lived four years before moving to Garfield county. They lived there until 1929, when they moved to Moore in Fergus county.

Mr. Zinnecker, a carpenter, died in Moore Feb. 15, 1955. Mrs. Zinnecker was a member of the Presbyterian Church.

Surviving Mrs. Zinnecker, besides the daughter in Billings, are two other daughters, Mrs. George Steinar of Gary, Ind., and Mrs. Hal Lucas of Superior, three sons, L. F. Zinnecker of Moore, Henry Zinnecker of Long Beach, Calif., and Dr. Kenneth Zinnecker of Columbus, Ohio; 22 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.

Notes:

Married:
The Striffler-Benkelman Broadcast, Vol. 7, September 4, 1944, noted that Mr. and Mrs. George Zinnecker of Moore, Montana celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in California at the home of his sister, Mrs. Grover Blades, on Nov. 22, 1944.


The STRIFFLER-BENKELMAN BROACAST-1964 reported that Helene Striffler Lucas of Superior, Montana; Catherine Zinnecker Miller of Billings, Montana, Henry Zinnecker of Long Beach, Calif. and Kenneth Zinnecker of Columbus, Ohio were all planning on attending the 1964 Striffler-Benkelman Reunion in Cass City.