LIFE STORY OF John Miller June 26, 1912 - November 27, 2008 On October 4, 2004 at the age of 92 years old, John agreed to allow two of his friends to tape record him as he told his life story. This is the story he told that day ... When asked, "Where were you born?" His reply was, "Either Greece or New York, I don't know - put New York". Of course that made us ask, "Why don't you know where you were born?" His response? I had a sister 2 years younger than me.. Her name was Helen. We found ourselves in an orphanage in New York City. They gave us both the same birth date, if it's my true birth date, I don't know. I don't know why we were separated from our parents. In February 1921, when I was 9 years old, I was put on a train in New York with 12 other children and shipped to Texas. My sister was ill, so she was not sent with this group. She came on another train & was left off in Memphis Texas. I visited her once, but never saw her again after that. As for me, I was brought to the courthouse & the public could come and choose a child. I was chosen by John & Alice Miller. I cried when the Miller's chose me. There were 2 women who had traveled on the train with us, Mrs. Hill & Mrs. Comstock These ladies comforted me saying that it was just for the weekend. I agreed to go with the Miller's. I never left. I was adopted as their son about 2 years later. They named me Jackie, Jack A.B. Miller (Jack Andrew Batos Miller) (I was born to Mr. & Mrs. Batos). *Something very few people know about The Miller's had two daughters. One was in school in college. We eventually moved from (Quanah) Texas to the farm, near Red River, where I grew up. In 1925 when I was 13 years old, John sold the farm and bought one close to Butler Oklahoma. I worked hard on the farm. The crops did not produce what we needed, so that put us in poor circumstances. In 1929 when I was 17, just before the stock market crash, dad bought a new Chevy 6. One of the best purchases he made for the family because it tied us over through the hard times of the 29 situation. I went to college for a little over 2 years. I took shorthand, typing, book keeping, a secretarial course. I never did get a job that was satisfactory from that, so I went back to farming in Texas on the border of Texas and Oklahoma. I got a job working on a farm the Phillips owned. They were related to the Miller's. I worked there for a couple of years. Then I went to farm with a crippled man farming cotton, corn, -whatever. Meantime, I grew up as a Baptist, to the extent that I was taught it was the true religion and you had to be born again to be baptized. I was baptized as a Baptist at 14 years old (1926). I continued in this belief very strongly and taught in their Sunday School & BTU (young people's training in the afternoon). Oklahoma City looking for a job. I hitchhiked there getting a ride from a truck driver. After I looked around and realized I didn't have much money, I couldn't stay around any longer to look for a job and didn't want to stay on the street, so I turned around and went back home. I caught a ride with a couple of men who were going to Arizona. They directed my attention to the Bible. They talked about NO TRINITY. NO HELLFIRE. NO IMMORTAL SOUL. All the time I was asking them this & asking them that, and they gave me scriptural answers. This went on about an 80 mile ride. I got out at my parents house. I didn't realize it then who they were, because their religion was just a drop in the bucket to other religions. They were what are now known as Jehovah's Witnesses. There were less than 100,000 of them back then. *Once in awhile I call these 2 men angels, or meaning, Messengers of Jehovah, because they truly brought me the Divine Name, and the Kingdom, outstanding Bible information we all need to know as Christians. It changed my beliefs IMMEDIATELY! So in two weeks time, after I got back on the farm, there was a little village church (Baptist) that I had become a member of (teaching). I called for my record of membership and they provided me with a release of membership. I eventually moved to Amarillo Texas and got acquainted with the Jehovah's Witnesses there. They met in a Chiropractor's home for meetings. I stayed with the •Riley's. In 1940, when I was 28 years old, a Zone Servant from Brooklyn New York visited. He saw my disposition and enthusiasm of the truth and Bible study, so he suggested I get baptized as one of Jehovah's Witnesses. Bro. Champagne oversaw the baptism arrangements. They took me out in the prairie to a horse tank & baptized me. I often joke that I had "Champagne" at my baptism. Back then they didn't keep a record of your baptism date, so, since it was the month of June, I chose June 26th as the date. So my baptism date was June 26, 1940. I moved from Amarillo Texas to _:'-. I had the privilege to take part in the distribution of the Watchtower & Awake magazines doing street work. Some people called us Communists. Some said "NO" but some did accept our message. We used Testimony Cards. One funny experience I had was when I handed a lady the card to read and her little boy asked "why did he give you that card?". She