Emmitt E. Miller and Josephine Isbell Miller
Emmitt E. Miller and Josephine Isbell Miller were both born and raised in rural Muhlenberg County in Kentucky. Emmitt was born May 7, 1907, and Josephine was born November 8, 1904. They were both raised in a modest home with siblings and each had a desire to have a college education. In those days a person could take an exam to qualify to teach school and both of them passed the exam before they ever attended college. They married January 21, 1928, while pursuing their education at Western Kentucky Teachers College. Often, they came to Bowling Green, rented a room for school and attended a semester. Then back to Muhlenberg County to teach to make some money to pay the bills for college for the next semester. Emmitt reached his goal and his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1938 and they left Bowling Green to teach full time. At that time, Josephine was 12 hours short of her goal and her degree.
Both taught for many years and a daughter was born named Sarah Margaret. They bought a home in Bremen and both taught in that community. After several years, they moved to Sacramento in McLean County and Emmitt became Principal of Sacramento High School. Josephine was a substitute teacher. With the huge responsibilities of the job of the school Principal, there was a very limited income. Eventually Emmitt left education and became a field representative with Ideal Milk Company in Owensboro, Ky. They continued to live in Sacramento, farmed, and served in various places in the community. They were very active members of Sacramento Baptist Church.
In 1984, with Emmitt having declining health, they moved to Louisville to be near Sarah. Emmitt died on July 1, 1985 following complications of hip surgery.
Around 2000, family members encouraged Josephine to consider completing her degree by correspondence classes. It was still a goal for her. But that idea did not get approval from WKU due to degree requirements.
In October 2005, when Josephine was a few months away from her 101 birthday, Byron Crawford wrote an article in the Courier Journal about Josephine being a cancer survivor two times and this was National Cancer Survivor Month. In the article, he mentioned Josephine’s history as a teacher for 17 years and her desire to get her degree from WKU because other family members had their college degrees. The WKU Administrators saw the article and decided to award her a Bachelor of Science degree in Education as part of the 158th Commencement. The ceremony was held at Jeffersontown City Hall with President Dr. Gary Ransdell and three other faculty members in attendance along with some of Josephine’s past students. At age 101, Josephine was so proud to be a WKU graduate! In March 2009, Josephine died at age 104.
Because of both Emmitt and Josephine’s desire to encourage and educate children, Sarah has established a scholarship to be awarded to a McLean or Muhlenberg County student who values education and the desire to find a life fulfilling career. Through this fund, their legacies carry on in perpetuity.