Jackie Earl Miller was born April 12, in Weatherford, Oklahoma, during the blizzard of 1938, to Amos Miller and Frieda Sadie (Blum) Miller and passed away on January 6, 2022 at the age of 83.  Jackie lived his entire life in only three homes all within a mile-and-a-half of each other northeast of Hydro, Oklahoma.  He attended Hydro Public school from first through 12th grade, graduating in 1956. He was active in FFA and was a member of both the land and the pasture judging teams. As an adult, Jackie served on the Hydro school board for 10 years.

A classmate commented that everyone always knew Jackie would become a farmer.  He took over farming operations at the age of 18 when his father passed away, in 1956. Jackie had worked previously for John Russell at his service station in Hydro and later worked at the Hydro Co-op service station delivering fuel to local farmers.

Jackie raised cattle with his son Jerrald, beginning their ranching operations by working cattle owned by Marshal Felton.  Throughout the years Jerrald and Jackie, with periodic fence work done by the grandsons, built a thriving cattle business.  With the passing of his son Jerrald, Jackie turned to Marshal's great grandson, Matt McKay to partner with in his own cattle operations.

Jackie farmed in conjunction with two of his cousins Dean Schantz and his son Merlin Schantz. He farmed land for other owners and baled hay for a multitude of farmers in the surrounding area.  He raised wheat, cotton, milo, and in later years Bermuda grass.  Jackie always supported the local FFA chapter and invested his time and skills with young farmers in the area, several of whom served as pallbearers for his service. He would start them out doing basic farm tasks until they developed additional skills leading to more complex operations, eventually helping them obtain their own equipment and farming operations.

Jackie married Merrietta Kareen Cook on April fourteenth, 1962 at the Hydro Church of the Nazarene where her father was the pastor.  Their union lasted 59 years and produced two children: a son Jerrald Wayne born December 23, 1963 and a daughter Janelle LaVon born January 9, 1966. Jackie was a member of the Nazarene Church in Hydro from birth and served on the church leadership board for 53 years. He and Merrietta went on many Work and Witness service missions, to Brazil, Indonesia, Swaziland, France, and Italy. He also accompanied a few youth Mennonite Disaster Service teams with Merrietta, as an adult sponsor. Jackie enjoyed the work aspect of these trips more than the travel and sightseeing and always enjoyed returning to his own bed once the trip had concluded.

Jackie loved tractor pulls and watched as a spectator both in person and on television, for many years.  He especially enjoyed participating in the tractor pulls at the Hydro Free Fair and was very successful in competition.  He delighted in attending farm shows and equipment auctions at times simply for the social interaction with other farmers. He found great joy in watching sports and he and Merrietta attended numerous basketball games for Hydro school sports teams.  He especially enjoyed watching his three grandsons participate in baseball, basketball and football and was exceptionally proud of their sports achievements.

Jackie had a sweet tooth and loved candy.  He would shop for groceries at the Hydro Food Mart/Deer Creek Market simply to be able to pick up a bag of candy while he was there. He roasted fresh local peanuts and made his own chocolate covered peanut clusters to share with his friends and grandsons. He could often be found taking his grandsons to help him with farm work and then to the Quick Stop for a coke and some candy.  If his grandsons weren't available, he would find some of the kids around the neighboring farms and take them along for his daily snack times.

He will be sadly missed by so many, especially his Quick Stop buddies, with whom he shared coffee every morning and later in life he added a mid-afternoon stop. Jackie was an example for many. The simple and deeply felt compliment has been extended immediately by so many is that "Jackie was a good man." Few really deserve that title, but he does if anyone does. Hydro will be in deficit.

Proceeded in death by his son Jerrald Wayne Miller, his parents Amos Miller and Frieda Sadie (Blum) Miller, his father-in-law Alvin Bryce Cook and mother-in-law Naomi Lucille (Harris) Cook

Survivors include wife, Merrietta Kareen (Cook) Miller of the home in Hydro, daughter Janelle LaVon (Miller) and husband Randel L Zabel of Oklahoma City, grandsons Ryan Scott Zabel, Colby Bryson Zabel, and Shane Foster Zabel all of Edmond OK, sister-in-law Lynette Darlene Cook of Oklahoma City, and brother-in-law Dale Ellsworth Cook of Binger OK.