Karl Albert Miller, age 105, died December 14, 2008, from causes incident to age, as you might guess.

He was born in Provo, Utah, October 3, 1903 to Professor Albert Miller -- Brigham Young Academy's first professional musician -- and Elsa Miller.

Karl attended BYU schools from kindergarten through high school and on to a Bachelor's Degree, and he nearly completed his Master's. He was on the BYU 1928 livestock judging team with Ezra Taft Benson. He began working for BYU when he was in the fifth grade, and later worked professionally in the Buildings and Grounds Department for forty years (eight of those years as Superintendent).

He considered providing students with employment and encouragement while they were completing college degrees to be one of his important missions in life. He managed to keep the buildings clean and warm during the depression and through a coal strike.

Karl was present when Joseph F. Smith placed the cornerstone and time capsule in the Maeser Building at BYU, and he resolved a near tragic situation, during a 1975 centennial celebration, when he opened the capsule with an old fashioned can opener.

For many years, Karl ran generators to provide electricity at Aspen Grove for the annual Timp Hike Program. He donated his time to install the first sprinkler system at Provo LDS Tabernacle, was on the selection committee for the girls' camp at MIA Shalom, and supervised the building of the first cabins there.

He was active in the LDS Church serving in bishoprics, on a high council for 15 years, and in the Provo Temple.

While a student at Brigham Young High School, Karl rang the Y bell for class changes. In 1954, he supervised the repair work of the bell after it cracked when it was improperly rung.

Karl felt highly honored when he was asked to "Light The Y" at a BYU football game on September 23, 2003, when the BYU Class of 1949 honored him in October 2004, and when he was presented a BYU Emeriti Alumni Association Award in 2005. He was an avid BYU sports fan!

Karl enjoyed attending six annual Utah centenarian celebrations hosted by three different governors of Utah.

On June 24, 1931 Karl married Frances Augusta Crocheron in the Salt Lake LDS Temple and they were married two weeks short of sixty-nine years when Frances died.

Karl and Frances are the parents of three sons: Reed Miller (Opal), Grant Miller (Judy), and Glen Miller (Geri). They raised two nieces who were considered their daughters: Joyce Weight and Evelyn (Richard) Dalebout.

Funeral services were held Saturday, December 20, 2008 in the chapel at 100 West 800 North, Provo. Interment, Provo Cemetery. [Provo Daily Herald, Wednesday, December 17, 2008]

Tuesday, 30 September 2008
Karl A. Miller 105 Years
Provo Daily Herald

Another year has gone by and I am now celebrating my 105th birthday on October 3, 2008. Little did I know that I'd stay around this long, but I've had a good life and am glad I have seen so much progress in the world in the last 105 years. My family is having a celebration for me on October 2nd.

Karl A. Miller

A Visit with Karl A. Miller
By Larry Christensen, BYH '66
Summer 2006

The name "Karl A. Miller" has been a familiar one to me for a long time. Around BYU it has the same household currency as such names as "Ben E. Lewis", "Ronald G. Hyde", or "Jae Ballif".

In recent years, I began to read more about Karl A. Miller. He had reached 100 years of age, and was honored by BYU at the beginning of a football game on September 27, 2003 in the "Lighting the Y" ceremony. Then he reached 101, and then 102. One day I was reading something about him when I noticed that he had graduated from BY High!

Coincidentally, during the past year I have been corresponding a lot with Glen L. Miller, an alumnus helping to organize the 45th year reunion of his BYH Class of 1961, set for September 15, 2006.

When I mentioned to Glen that I was coming from San Diego to Provo for my own class reunion on July 1, he invited me to meet with him when I arrived. Then he said, "Would you like to meet my father, Karl A. Miller, who graduated from BYH in 1923?"

I quickly accepted his offer, and we met on Wednesday, June 28, 2006. I didn't know what to expect -- maybe a quick, hushed visit to the bedside of an elderly patient in a Provo nursing home.

Was I wrong! Karl Miller lives alone in his own home, in a nice neighborhood a short walk from the Provo power plant. The house is neat and well kept, as you might expect of the long-time superintendent of the BYU grounds and facilities department.

Glen met me at the door and welcomed me in. His father was momentarily preoccupied on his computer, and Glen explained that Karl is writing a book about his life at BYU. It is almost done, and right now he was searching for anything he had written about his BYH years.

One of Karl's young daughters, Evelyn, slipped through the front door, and Glen introduced me to her. Karl interrupted his work and walked vigorously into the living room where he greeted Evelyn. He greeted me pleasantly and shook my hand. He doesn't look a day over 60.

In a few minutes he walked back through the kitchen and his bedroom, and noticed that someone had put his glass of milk into the refrigerator and made his bed. "Did you make my bed?" he asked Evelyn. She admitted she had. It sounded like he would have preferred to do it himself, but he thanked her anyway.

Soon we were rummaging through a stack of photographs, looking for a class photo of his BYH Class of 1923. Triumphantly he found what he was looking for -- but it turned out to be the class photo for his BYU Class of 1932. "I could have sworn that was it," he said. "This is what I had in mind. However, I'm afraid what this means is that I just don't have a photo from the BYH Class of 1923."

"In fact," he continued, "I'm not even sure any high school graduation exercises were held for our class, or any class photos taken. The full ceremonies were reserved for 8th Graders and graduating college students. I clearly remember Heber J. Grant reading our names when we graduated from 8th Grade to high school."

I asked him if he remembered any humorous stories about his days at the Training School and High School. "Here's two," he said, handing me a page he had highlighted and printed from his unfinished autobiography.

"In the BYU Training School, we had a big pageant about America. My older sister, Hilda, was a blond girl with long hair. She was fifteen years of age and in the 8th Grade. She was chosen to be the Statue of Liberty and hold the Stars and Stripes above a large billboard.

"She was the best student selected for that particular part of the pageant. All at once, it dawned on someone that Hilda was of German parentage, and immediately informed everyone that Hilda could not possibly perform the part appropriately.

"They must have made the situation 'a matter of prayer', because they finally decided that it might be all right for Hilda to be the Statue of Liberty after all. The pageant went on as outlined."

The second story was ironic to the first:

"There was another program to be performed in College Hall that same year. My younger sister, Alberta, was chosen to hold 'The Dove of Peace' specifically because she was of German parentage. For some reason, there was quite a difference!

"The dove Alberta held was a real live bird. During the performance, the dove made a 'deposit' in her hand, and it ran down her beautiful new dress. She felt terribly embarrassed about this."

"But what about you?" I asked.

"You know, I didn't experience much humor in my elementary, junior high and high school years. I believe I was depressed -- that's a good word for it -- and didn't participate in any extra-curricular activities. Why? I had two strikes against me.

"First, although I had been named for Karl G. Maeser, it was a German name, and some of my classmates called me dirty names and ostracized me because I was a 'German'. One girl who sat behind me pulled my hair while she called me the worst names, blaming me for the World War. I mentioned this to the teacher, and she allowed me to move to a different seat. I didn't know what all of this meant -- my widowed mother and the children in our family didn't know anything about politics or the war in Europe. In fact, we stayed away from those subjects.

"The second strike was that in baseball I liked to bat left-handed. I did everything else right-handed. This was particularly painful in sports to go against my natural inclination. When I tried to bat left-handed, the others accused me of trying to show off. So I couldn't play well. I wasn't considered athletic, and was always the last one to be taken when sides were chosen for games.

"I did enjoy and excel in shop work. Shop was then taught on the first floor of the Education Building, under the instruction of Brigham T. Higgs. He was a very exacting teacher. One day after looking over some of my work, he said it was good enough that I could take on the project of making a violin. I have remembered this rare compliment ever after.

"On one early occasion, our tall teacher -- named Roscoe Harmon, I think -- was teaching us geography. He called me to the blackboard and asked me to, from memory only, draw a map of the United States as complete as I could. I started in the middle with the Mississippi River and worked my way out, until every detail he had taught us was complete and in proportion. He was astonished and gave me an 'A', the only one in the class.

"These two teachers are the only ones I remember who gave me a 'pat on the back' instead of a 'kick in the butt'.

"It's sad that we treat groups of people this way. Later the Japanese-Americans were treated badly, and they were even put in detention camps. Today Arab-Americans are often singled out for abuse."

"It was in college that I came into my own, that I was given the freedom to be myself. I'm sorry that I can't give you a better report of my BY High School years."

But after all was said and done, Karl was most interested that I learn all about his father, Albert Miller, who was the first professional band and orchestra professor at Brigham Young Academy. He had a brilliant career at the Academy and was loved by his students and audiences, but died suddenly from typhoid fever on January 31, 1906, when he was only thirty-one years old.

Karl allowed me to borrow a 36-page treatise about his father, written by Richard W. Robison in 1957. I promised that I would create a special historical article about Professor Miller on the website.

Since that visit, I have been telling everyone I meet about Karl A. Miller, a remarkably young 102-year-old man who has served BYU and his family long and faithfully. He has a remarkable memory with insights that he is willing to share with everyone through his writings, and by example through his actions.

And Happy Birthday, Karl!

He Put Old on Hold
Special Thanks to Karen Larsen

On October 3, 2008, Karl A. Miller of Provo, Utah became 105 years old. Mr. Miller is an exceptional centenarian and more remarkable than that, an exceptional human being. We found him incredible enough that we wanted to share some of his story.

Karl attended the BYU Laboratory Training School, graduated from BY High School in 1923, and earned a BS Degree from BYU in 1932. Karl spent his employment career at BYU. His first job there came in 1914 when he was in the 5th grade. Each Saturday he cleaned all of the chalk erasers in the four buildings on the Lower Campus for 50 cents per week. In 1915, when he was in the sixth grade, he was hired to do custodial work. While in high school, Karl was hired as a repair carpenter and installed and repaired windows for BYU.

While attending BY High in 1920, one of Karl's jobs was to ring the Y Bell for class changes. The bell was located in the bell tower of the Education Building (now the Provo City Library at Academy Square).

Karl leveled the original cinder racetrack with a land leveler and a team of horses. The track circled the original football field, where the Richards Building is now located.

Karl served on the BYU stock judging team with Ezra Taft Benson in 1928.

In 1930, Karl was assigned by the BYU president to become the first faculty police officer for the Upper Campus. He was sworn in by the Provo City Chief of Police. He had no police car, no tickets, but he did have a badge. The only problem Karl had as a police officer was when he observed a hit and run accident. When he reported the accident and license plate number to the Provo City Police Chief, the hit and run driver turned out to be the Chief's son!

In January 1934, BYU selected Karl as Assistant Superintendent of Buildings and Campus, and in December that same year, he was promoted to be Associate Superintendent of Buildings and Grounds. At this time, Karl was given faculty status.

Karl supervised and assisted in repairing the Y Bell after it cracked from people improperly ringing it following a BYU basketball win over the over the University of Utah in 1949.

In 1975, as part of the BYU Centennial Celebration activities, leaders decided to find and open the time capsule box that had been sealed in the cornerstone of the Maeser Building. Actually, it was opened twice, first with no observers present, because most folks were unsure where it was. Karl, however, was the only one still at BYU known to have been present in 1909 when the Maeser Memorial cornerstone was laid. He found it and opened the wall, but did not open the box. The box was resealed inside the cornerstone for a public ceremony later.

The time capsule box had been sturdily built of hard copper. Several people were assigned to bring electric saber saws to open the box. At the ceremony, workers used two blades, and both broke. A general air of disappointment began to run through the crowd.

At that point, Karl stepped forward with an old fashioned can opener that he had thought to sharpen only two hours before. To everyone's relief, he was successful in opening the copper box. President Dallin Oaks (BYH 1950) asked Karl what had inspired him to bring the can opener. Karl told him, "That's the way I have worked for 40 years at the Y -- through inspiration."

Karl recalls when electricity first came to Provo, bringing both fear and excitement as people began to enjoy and have accidents with that innovation. He remembers when all of the streets in Provo were dirt or mud, when ox teams were occasionally seen. He witnessed the arrivals of the first car and first airplane in Provo. Karl remembers Indians camping each summer on the vacant lot south of his home in the heart of Provo, on the corner of 1st West and 1st North.

After the Centennial, Karl noticed that none of the many books written about BYU contained much about the history of the physical facilities, so he wrote a 365-page book entitled, History of Buildings and Grounds, Brigham Young University. Of special interest were his invaluable descriptions of the buildings on the Lower Campus -- no one else remained who knew this history.

Karl married Frances Crocheron. They raised three sons and two daughters: Reed Miller [BYH 1952], Grant Miller [BYH 1955], Glen Miller [BYH 1961], Joyce Miller Weight, and Evelyn Miller Dalebout. Frances died in 2000.

In 2006, Karl still lives in his own home and takes care of himself. He doesn't take any special medication, however his doctor has encouraged him to eat food with salt to help raise his blood pressure.

Karl continues to support family members by attending concerts, programs, weddings, new and returning missionary activities, reunions, and many other family events that involve his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.

Karl continues to be the patriarch of his family. He helps many family members with financial support (whether they need it or not) for missions, education, home improvements, and equipment needed to become established in a profession. He has served as an active member of the LDS Church all of his life.

Karl is currently writing his autobiography, and helps with the histories of other family members. He purchased a new computer for this purpose in February 2005.

His daily routine includes reading the newspaper. He cooks his own breakfast of bacon, egg with a banana and a glass of milk. He has lunch brought in to his home, but he fixes his own supper. He works in his flower garden in the summer and gets some help with the lawn from his grandchildren.

Karl keeps up on many sports -- football, basketball, tennis, volleyball, etc. About 41 years ago, Karl purchased two of the many seats sold to help build the BYU stadium, and he is still using them to cheer on the Cougars when they play in Provo.

Governor Michael O. Leavitt honored Karl at the 17th Annual Centenarian celebration in July 2003. Governor Olene S. Walker honored him in July 2004 at the 18th Annual Centenarian event.

On February 19, 2005, Karl received a BYU Emeritus Award during a reception and luncheon for him and nine other 'younger' recipients. He was honored during the "Lighting the Y" ceremony at the beginning of the football game on September 27, 2003, and was honored by the 1949 graduating class of BYU at their 55th class reunion in 2004. He was an honored speaker at two BY High School All-Class Reunions, one in 1995, and another in 2001, the latter held in the newly renovated BY Academy Education Building.

Karl Miller is the son of Albert Miller [Ernst Ludwig Adelbert Müller in Germany], the first Professor of Band and Orchestra at Brigham Young Academy, and Elsa [Emma Elsa Müller -- no relation] Miller. The Brigham Young Academy family and the people of Utah Valley were shocked when Albert, their favorite musician, suddenly died of typhoid fever at the age of 31. His widow, Elsa, never remarried, but raised their three children by herself. The children are: Hilda Elsa Miller (born January 21, 1902), Karl Albert Miller (born October 3, 1903), and Alberta Miller (born May 6, 1906).

2003: Karl A. Miller Honored by BYU
By Christi C. Babbitt

A student once tearfully approached Karl A. Miller with news that he was quitting school, lacking the funds to pay for it.

Miller, who was overseeing buildings and grounds at Brigham Young University at the time, would not hear of it.

"I said, 'Go home and get your working clothes on and come with me right now. I am going to give you enough work that you are going to be able to pay your bills, if you are not afraid to work,'" Miller said.

The same student came to Miller years later with happier news: he had received his doctoral degree and been invited to join the faculty at BYU.

Miller has spent his life watching and helping the University literally grow from the ground up, and just days before his 100th birthday on Oct. 3, 2003, Miller was honored for his service to the University in front of thousands of people at LaVell Edwards Stadium prior to the BYU football game against Air Force.

An old photo in a book Miller wrote titled History of Buildings and Grounds, Brigham Young University shows him as a kindergartner standing in front of the vacant land where the Karl G. Maeser Building -- the first permanent building on the BYU upper campus -- was to be built.

In fact, Miller was named after former BYU President Maeser.

During his 40-year career at BYU, Miller worked as an assistant superintendent and superintendent of buildings and grounds. He later worked supervising the University heating plant and mechanical shop.

His home was located on campus for 23 years.

Miller's first job related to BYU was cleaning chalk erasers during the fifth grade for 50 cents per week. In sixth grade, he did custodial work.

He graduated from Brigham Young High School in 1923 and received his bachelor's degree from BYU in 1932.

"We chose to honor Karl Miller because we try to find people who have made a great contribution to BYU and that add intrigue, and he certainly does both," said Brian Santiago, BYU associate athletic director over operations.

Karl A. Miller is 100 years old, still going strong, has watched BYU basically be built since he was a little child and done numerous things to improve the university and the campus.

Miller has a plentiful supply of memories regarding his lifelong relationship with BYU.

But it is the hundreds of students who worked for him caring for BYU buildings and grounds that make up Miller's favorite recollections.

"Now, that makes me cry, to think that I could help somebody accomplish something in their life," Miller said.

Provo Daily Herald
28 September 2003

By Shannon Young, Staff Reporter
Daily Universe
March 4, 2005

In 1900, the first professional musician was hired by Brigham Young Academy to conduct the band and orchestra. At that time, Albert Miller had no idea what legacy he would leave to his son, Karl, who never had a chance to know him.

Today, 101-year-old Karl lives in an orange brick home in Provo near Brigham Young University. The trees are trimmed and the lawn is mowed, but instead of taking care of everything himself, his three children and two nieces he raised return his kindness by caring for him.

The pictures are in the closet, but the memories, both good and bad, of BYU are still vivid in Karl’s century-old mind. From training school in 1908, to BY High in 1919, to becoming a faculty member in 1934, most of his life was spent at the school.

“The Lord let him live a long life because he overcame obstacles when he was younger,” said Evelyn Dalebout, 58, a niece of Karl’s who lived with the family after her parents passed away.

Albert’s time at BYU was cut short one cold night when he traveled to Lehi with 13 of his band members in a carriage filled with instruments. Because of the weather, he got sick. After spending time in bed for weeks, Albert caught typhoid fever and passed away when his son Karl was 2 ½ years old.

Karl’s son Glen, 61, said although Albert was beloved and well known in the community, Karl became “a nobody” and a problem in society when his father died.

When World War I broke out, Karl’s classmates at Brigham Young Training School made fun of Karl and did not accept him because he was German, Karl said. Many even blamed him for starting the war.

“That didn’t help me in any way to try to be something,” Karl said, frowning and bowing his head. “I was too depressed.”

It was a hindrance his entire life, he said. He didn’t have any dreams or plans while growing up because of the persecution.

While Karl was attending Brigham Young University and studying animal husbandry and agronomy, a farmer called from Erda, Utah, and told a faculty member they were looking for a student to help take care of 25 dairy cows.

Karl said he didn’t know where Erda was, but something told him to go there. He took the job and moved to Erda.

One day after Sunday School in Erda, Karl saw his future wife Francis Crocheron playing the pump organ and said hello to her. This was the beginning of their courtship.

“I had to wait until she got out of kindergarten to get married,” Karl joked because of their nine-year age difference.

Karl and Francis were married in the Salt Lake Temple in 1931 and were together for 69 years. She passed away three weeks before their 70th anniversary.

“Oh, my stars,” said Grant, 67, Karl’s son, when asked how his mother influenced his father. “In one word, enormously! She influenced him in culture, people skills and the finer things in life.”

While helping his father write his family history, Glen said he noticed a big change after his father was married. Before the marriage, people at church never asked Karl to hold responsible callings, serve a mission or receive the Melchizedek priesthood. They saw Karl as his mother’s little boy.

“When he got out of the ward, started doing other things on his own and got married, all at once, he was somebody important,” Glen said.

Francis and Karl had three boys, Reed, Grant and Glen and took two of their nieces into their home, Evelyn Dalebout and Joyce Cassidy when the girls were 13 and 11.

“He was a faithful, dependable, committed, courteous gentleman and he taught us that we obeyed and respected our mother,” said Reed, 71, Karl’s son.

Karl became a faculty member at BYU in 1934 when he was assigned to be the associate superintendent of buildings and grounds.

“One of the finest things I ever did at BYU was to help students go to school,” said white-haired Karl.

One student came to him and said he was going to leave the university because he didn’t have $5 to pay his bills.

“Go and get your old working clothes on,” Karl said. “I’m giving you enough jobs to do if you aren’t afraid to work. If you’re afraid to work, don’t bother.”

Several years later, the student came back to BYU with his wife to see Karl and both expressed their gratitude to him. The student had completed his doctorate and was invited to work on the BYU faculty.

“He [Karl] was always a kindly, fatherly type of person rather than a hard-nosed boss,” said Elliot Cameron, 82, retired administrator at BYU and personal friend to Karl.

He made close friends with all the students that worked for him, Cameron said. He was kind and understanding because he knew what the students were going through.

Glen said his father taught BYU students and his family by example.

When Glen was a boy, Lloyd Hobbs, a neighbor and friend to Karl, asked Karl to watch his house while he was away.

While watching the Hobbs’ home, Karl took Glen with him and they entered in through the back door into the kitchen.

Glen said his eyes grew wide when he saw the cookie jar on the counter.

“Dad, the cookie jar is clear full of cookies,” Glen said.

“Yes, son and our jobs are to make sure it is full when the Hobbs get back,” Karl said.

Grant said every step of his life has been a result of what his father provided for him.

“I could not do anything that would bring shame on my father’s good name,” he said.

Today, Karl spends more time at home than at BYU, but he sat back in his chair with a smile and talked about how thankful he is to be alive. He said he didn’t expect to see some of his grandchildren baptized let alone see them serve missions and get married.

When Karl was asked how many grandchildren he has now, he joked, “You’ll have to ask my wife, but she’s really busy right now. I have no idea, but they’re still coming like mad.”

After counting, he proudly said 22 grandchildren, 52 great grandchildren and four great great grandchildren.

Every time one of his grandchildren went on a mission, Karl would say, “Well… I may not be here when you get back,” but he was always there. Now, they don’t believe him anymore.

BYU NewsNet
By Evan Jordan Jr.
18 Apr 2008

The Maceys grocery store in Provo had to make extra room to accommodate friends and family of Karl Miller who joined him and the community to celebrate 104.5 years of his life on Saturday. Appropriately enough, the store had to move their motorized shopping carts to make room for the 104 year-young Miller who is a regular at the store.

Miller's ties with the Provo community and BYU date back to before he graduated from Brigham Young High School in 1923. He was employed by BYU in 1914 to clean the chalk erasers of all four buildings on lower campus for 50 cents an hour.

Over the years to come, Miller received a bachelor's degree from BYU and worked over 50 years in the university's physical facilities department where he wrote a 365 page book entitled The History of Buildings and Grounds, Brigham Young University. The book however, may not be Miller's greatest contribution.

Miller employed BYU students to help him manage the grounds at BYU. His oldest son, Reed, said one of these employees was once struggling financially. Miller saw the young student unpacking his locker. He soon learned the student could no longer afford tuition and planned on dropping out of school.

"No you're not. If you're not afraid of hard work, put those clothes back in that locker and come with me," Miller said.

He helped the student find a job that provided more hours and the student was able to stay in school and eventually earn a doctorate degree. He would later return to BYU and hold an administrative position.

Whenever and wherever the family travels there always seems to be someone who was employed by Miller when putting themselves through school.

Miller was too young for military service during the first World War and too old to be drafted in the second. When he did not receive a call to serve a full-time mission, he was forced to define his life around something that he both loved and allowed him to make somebody's life easier.

"Dad felt his mission was to get training before to BYU so he could take care of the grounds and provide work for students to get an education," said Miller's youngest son Glen.

The students under Miller's tutelage were not the only blessed by his life. The three sons and two nieces he raised were also molded by his guidance.

When Glen was young, Miller cared for a friend's house while the friend was vacationing. One day, Miller took his son with him to collect the mail and morning paper. While his dad worked, the young Glen wandered into the kitchen and found a young boys dream come true, a full cookie jar. With eager anticipation and excitement, he proudly announced his finding to his father.

"We're here to make sure the cookie jar is still full when the family gets back," Miller said.

Glen said it is a lesson he has never forgotten.

The apple of Miller's love has not fallen far from the tree. His oldest son's bumper sticker reads, "My money and my daughter go to BYU."

The family is currently preparing a history of Miller's life.

"We can't finish the thing," Glen said. "He keeps making it."

Source.