Former San Benito County native Herbert A. Miller died July 21, 2011, in Susanville, CA. He was born Nov. 4, 1924, in Hollister, CA.
Herb as he was known was a life long rancher who got his start on a ranch in the San Benito district that his parents purchased in 1936. He graduated from San Benito County High School in 1942 after which he started a herd of Polled Hereford cattle and continued riding his horses.
He started riding a horse at a young age while still living in Hollister with his parents. Millers rented stables right in the city limits of Hollister near the post office. Herb told his family he used to ride across town to the foothills above the I.O.O.F.cemetery where there was lots of wide open space.
After the Miller family home burned down in San Benito, Herb moved from San Benito County to a ranch in Lassen County in April 1951 where he lived the rest of his life.
On July 25, 1952, Herb married his long time girl friend Martha Bacon soon after she graduated from U.C. in Santa Barbara. She taught school in Susanville for several years in the 1950’s before becoming a full time Mom and helping Herb on the ranch.
Herbert Miller was a past member of Lassen County’s Sheriff Posse, Cattlemen’s and Farm Bureau. He served as a director of the Natural Resource Conservation District for over 20 years. After which he was a director of the Plumas Sierra Rural Electric Coop for 12 years. In 2006 he was named a Lassen County Old Timer of the Year.
Besides his wife, Martha Bacon Miller, Herbert is survived by four children: Darlene Anderson, Nancy Sisk , Becky Neely and Christopher Miller. Also surviving are eight grandchildren and two great- grandchildren all of whom reside in Lassen County except grandson Kyle Neely who is in the U.S. Air force stationed in Wyoming. Also nephew George Morelini of Susanville, CA and niece Judy Honea of Las Vegas, NV.
He was preceded in death by his parents Chris P. Miller and Marie Hansen Miller, his sister Dorothy Morelini and her husband George Morelini.
Memorial service for Herbert A.Miller were held Aug. 12, 2011 in Susanville, CA. with internment at Diamond Crest Cemetery in Johnstonville, Calif.
Herbert Miller’s ancestry in San Benito County goes back to the late 1800’s. His great-grandfather Timothy O’Connor fought in the Civil War.
He eventually moved his family out west settling in the southern end of San Benito County in the vicinity of Bitterwater. Some of the O’Connor descendants still live in the Bitterwater area.
His grandfather George Hansen and Sons owned a Harness and Saddle Shop in Hollister during the early 1900’s. Some of Herb’s relatives who currently live in Hollister include Charlotte Schmidt Tranberg, Nadine Schmidt Sparling and Bernice Hansen Nissen.
