Popular Former Three Rivers Art Teacher Remembered

Larry Miller | Image provided by family and used with permission.

Larry Miller, a popular former Three Rivers art teacher who later became a school administrator, passed away at his home in Illinois earlier this month. He began teaching in Three Rivers in 1959. Miller was an educator for thirty years, and after retirement in 1989, he returned to Palestine, Illinois, his hometown. There, he opened a downtown art gallery and studio called Coon Hollow Studios in honor of the St. Joseph County throughfare where he once lived.

Including both his educational career and his time as a studio owner, Miller spent much of his adulthood working with art. In his first job with Three Rivers schools, he traveled from school to school teaching art at all of the city’s elementary schools as well as the high school. In addition to teaching in Three Rivers, Miller also taught art classes in the early days of Glen Oaks Community College.

Miller’s wife, Barbara, said he also loved children and education. After teaching for a period of time, Miller eventually worked in the school district’s administration, and also coached tennis, basketball, and wrestling. Even in retirement back in Palestine, Miller still found ways to help youth programs. “He was just a very good person,” Barbara said. “He gave so much when he came back here. He paid for school uniforms, playground equipment, anything you can do for the kids he was always willing to do.”

Coon Hollow Studios began in Miller’s home when he still lived on Coon Hollow Road. His daughter, Darci Skryniarz of Three Rivers, recalled how it got started. “We had a terrible snowstorm in the winter of, I think, it was 1978 or 79. At that time he lived out by Clear Lake, just off Coon Hollow, and he got snowed in,” Skryniarz said. Miller passed the time by establishing the studio.

“When I was younger, I can remember going to shows with him,” Skryniarz said. “When he retired, he started into that full time. After he retired and moved back to Illinois, Miller located the business in a downtown building in Palestine and kept the name.

(Larry Miller Art, image provided by family and used with permission)

“He was a tremendous artist, you know, with the watercolors and the pen and ink,” Skryniarz said. “He took a lot of pride in that.” In his work, Miller often painted what he called “the vanishing American scene.” His paintings would depict subjects like “old barns, the backs of old buildings, old trucks,” Barbara said.

Miller toured with his artwork for more than two decades. Skryniarz said, “He was a juried artist in Indiana, Illinois, and Michigan, and so he had lots and lots of accomplishments and made a lot of art.” Barbara said, “he did approximately 17 to 20 art shows a summer,” including festivals in Kalamazoo and northern Indiana.

Larry and Barbara Miller met in grade school, when her last name was still Hardesty. “I fell in love with him in fourth grade,” Barbara said. “We went to school together here in Palestine. We went together through grade school and through high school, had a big fight, and separated. He got married, I got married, and I didn’t see him for 30 years.”

Then, in 1987, Larry’s father had a stroke. “I was an RN at a local hospital down here,” Barbara said. “His father’s name was William Luther Miller. Nobody in town ever knew a William. We just always knew him as Luther. I answered my phone one day and it was a call from Minnesota.” A patient named William Miller wanted to move to the hospital in Palestine, Barbara said, but there were plenty of Millers in town. “So, the name didn’t ring a bell to me.”

After some deliberation between Barbara and the Minnesota hospital, it was decided the transfer would be made on a Saturday. “I said, ‘well, I don’t normally work on Saturday, but I will work until he gets here, and we get him in and comfortable.’ I said, ‘just have them go to the emergency room.’ And I gave him my name. I said, ‘tell him to ask for Barbara.’”

(Larry Miller Art, image provided by family and used with permission)

The person on the phone said the family knew who she was. Barbara said, “when he came back, he said, ‘well, it’s Ruth and Larry Miller.‘” And I said to my girlfriend, ‘oh my god, he’s coming back to town. We’re going to go to Evansville, I’m gonna buy the most expensive outfit I’ve ever seen.’” Larry and Barbara reconnected. Eventually, the two divorced their spouses at the time.

Larry and Barbara Miller married in 1987. Larry finished out his retirement with Three Rivers Schools over the next two years, retiring officially in 1989. During that time, Barbara remained in Palestine, with both still having mothers there. As soon as he was retired, however, Larry moved back to his hometown.

Larry Miller was married twice previously. His first wife was Martha Houts, who goes by the surname Stakes now. His second wife was Marlene Strohm. With Martha, Miller had two daughters, including Skryniarz. His other daughter, Denise Bolin, lives in Kansas City, Missouri.

In addition to his work in art and education, Skryniarz said Miller was active in the community in other ways. “He was pretty prominent on the library board,” she said, back when the library was still located in the Carnegie Building. In the summers, Miller was a sergeant in the Marine Patrol with the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department. He was also a leader of the Three Rivers Elks Club and was active in the Presbyterian Church. After he returned to Illinois, Miller became involved in a variety of community activities and service organizations there, as well.

On the Tribute Wall at Goodwine Funeral Homes in Palestine, and on a number of Facebook posts announcing his passing, former students recalled Miller as a favorite teacher. Several said he was a major influence growing up, and that they enjoyed and appreciated his teaching style.

(Larry Miller Art, image provided by family and used with permission)

“I do know that several of the people that he taught in school, he was still in contact with. One of them was Benny Repogle, who apparently he kicked out of class, and then they became very good friends over the years,” Barbara said. “Another one was a Doug Baker.” Miller and Repogle stayed in contact. On trips to Florida in the winter, Barbara said, the two would visit with Repogle’s family.

One former TRHS student, Don Reed, posted on the Goodwine memorial wall. “I did not realize how innovative he was by putting all the gifted artists in one class, no matter what grade they were in. He let us do our thing, with necessary constructive criticism. I still use the skills taught in Mr. Miller’s art class,” Reed said. “Larry Miller was the best teacher I ever had.”

Bruce Schug, a member of the Three Rivers High School (TRHS) Class of 1963, recalled Miller’s art classes as well as his activity in the community. “Larry was only about eight years older than me and was my high school art teacher. We also had a common interest in cars. He was one of the car guys that hung around at ‘The Barn,’ the big red barn on Millard those guys rented to work on cars in,” Schug said of Miller and several of his associates. “I guess I last saw him summer of 1964, which doesn’t seem that long ago when you’re remembering old friends.”

Skryniarz said Miller was always invested in the places he lived. “No matter what community he was in, whether it was here in St. Joe County or down in Illinois, he really was a true, I think, community person. You know, he always gave back to the communities he was in. He wasn’t real boisterous about what he did. In fact, he was fairly quiet,” Skyrniarz said. “But he always was very involved with the communities that he lived.”

Miller was born on April 29, 1937. He graduated from Palestine High School before attending the University of Illinois, Eastern Illinois University, Western Michigan University, and Michigan State University. Miller passed away on October 7, and a memorial service took place in Palestine on October 10. In addition to his wife and daughters, he is survived by two stepchildren, 12 grandchildren, and eleven great-grandchildren.

Dave Vago is a writer and columnist for Watershed Voice. A Philadelphia native with roots in Three Rivers, Vago is a planning consultant to history and community development organizations and is the former Executive Director of the Three Rivers DDA/Main Street program.