White River Jct., VT – Raymond "Ray" C. Miller, 82, lifelong resident of Hartford, VT, and lifetime farmer died after a long period of declining health. Ray passed away peacefully Thursday evening, January 11, at his home off the Jericho Road.
Ray was born May 20, 1935 in Hanover, NH, the son of Chester G. and Hazel M. (Jacobs) Miller. Ray attended the one room schoolhouse in the Jericho District, and was in the last graduating class when the school was closed. He later attended the Hartford High School. Following high school he began his career as a mechanic/fabricator/welder at Noble & Belisle in West Lebanon, NH. On May 29, 1954 he married Joyce Alice Gray in Norwich, VT. A few years later they bought their farm off Jericho Road in Hartford where they spent the rest of their married lives. Ray was a quick study and in a short time earned a reputation for his hard work and uncanny ability to fix just about anything. In time he was hired by Reggie Daniels at Daniel's Sales and Service in Lebanon, NH. After 10 years Ray decided to become self-employed doing whatever was needed to pay the bills. Mostly he raised heifers, pigs, sold hay and did custom slaughtering. In 1976 Ray and Joyce started a dairy business with their son George known as Jericho Valvu Farm working until he retired in 2006. His strong work ethic gained him the respect of fellow dairy farmers as well as his many friends and neighbors.

Ray served on the board of the Cabot Cooperative Creamery, and for over twenty years on the Vermont Beef Industry Council. He was a licensed Vermont cattle dealer. For many years Ray served with the Vermont National Guard where he was a certified Marksman and Shooting Instructor.

Ray was a devoted family man, and in his later years built a special unique relationship with each of his grandchildren. Ray truly enjoyed visiting with family and friends. Besides having the ability to fix just about anything, Ray was an avid birdwatcher and a master at taming frightened barn kittens. He was especially proud to be an NRA lifetime member.

He is survived by his wife Joyce, two daughters, Norma Young and her husband, Byron of White River Jct., VT, Sandra Audsley and her husband Douglas of Taftsville, VT; three sons, Chester Miller and his wife, Candace of Norwich, VT, George Miller and his wife Linda of the Jericho District in the Town of Hartford, VT, Douglas Miller and his wife, Julie of Enfield, NH, ten grandchildren and fifteen great grandchildren. He was predeceased by his brothers- and sisters-in-law Jean and Walter Coutermarsh as well as Janet and Albert Savage.

Calling hours will be held Friday evening, January 19, from 6-8PM at the Knight Funeral Home in White River Jct., VT. Funeral services will be held Saturday, January 20, at 1PM at
the Knight Funeral Home with a reception to follow at the Hartford United Church of Christ. Burial will take place later in the springtime in the Hartford Cemetery in White River Jct., VT.

Joyce would like to thank their daughter, Sandy Audsley for being Ray's care manager over the last two years with the help from other family members as well as Cameron Clifford, Bayada of Norwich, Help At Home LLC and the TLC caregivers.

In lieu of flowers, the Miller family asks that memorial contributions be made to the Hartford Historical Society in Memory of Ray Miller, to be deposited in the Jericho Schoolhouse Restoration Fund and mailed to Hartford Historical Society, P.O. Box 547, Hartford, VT 05047-0547.