2017-2018 Bill 4104: Reverend O'neal Miller - South Carolina Legislature Online

1 South Carolina General Assembly 2 122nd Session, 2017-2018 3 4 H. 4104 5 6 STATUS INFORMATION 7 8 House Resolution 9 Sponsors: Reps. McKnight, Alexander, Allison, Anderson, Anthony, Arrington, Atkinson, Atwater, 10 Bales, Ballentine, Bamberg, Bannister, Bedingfield, Bennett, Bernstein, Blackwell, Bowers, Bradley, 11 Brown, Burns, Caskey, Chumley, Clary, Clemmons, Clyburn, CobbHunter, Cogswell, Cole, Collins, 12 Crawford, Crosby, Daning, Davis, Delleney, Dillard, Douglas, Duckworth, Elliott, Erickson, Felder, 13 Finlay, Forrest, Forrester, Fry, Funderburk, Gagnon, Gilliard, Govan, Hamilton, Hardee, Hart, Hayes, 14 Henderson, Henegan, Herbkersman, Hewitt, Hill, Hiott, Hixon, Hosey, Howard, Huggins, Jefferson, 15 Johnson, Jordan, King, Kirby, Knight, Loftis, Long, Lowe, Lucas, Mack, Magnuson, Martin, McCoy, 16 McCravy, McEachern, Mitchell, D.C. Moss, V.S. Moss, Murphy, B. Newton, W. Newton, Norrell, Ott, 17 Parks, Pitts, Pope, Putnam, Quinn, Ridgeway, M. Rivers, S. Rivers, RobinsonSimpson, Rutherford, 18 Ryhal, Sandifer, Simrill, G.M. Smith, G.R. Smith, J.E. Smith, Sottile, Spires, Stavrinakis, Stringer, 19 Tallon, Taylor, Thayer, Thigpen, Toole, Weeks, West, Wheeler, Whipper, White, Whitmire, Williams, 20 Willis and Yow 21 Document Path: l:\council\bills\rm\1154zw17.docx 22 23 Introduced in the House on April 6, 2017 24 Adopted by the House on April 6, 2017 25 26 Summary: Reverend O'Neal Miller 27 28 29 HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS 30 31 Date Body Action Description with journal page number 32 4/6/2017 House Introduced and adopted ( House Journalpage 42) 33 34 View the latest legislative information at the website 35 36 37 VERSIONS OF THIS BILL 38 39 4/6/2017 40 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A HOUSE RESOLUTION 10 11 TO EXPRESS THE PROFOUND SORROW OF THE 12 MEMBERS OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA HOUSE OF 13 REPRESENTATIVES UPON THE PASSING OF THE 14 REVEREND O’NEAL MILLER OF SAINT STEPHEN AND TO 15 EXTEND THE DEEPEST SYMPATHY TO HIS FAMILY AND 16 MANY FRIENDS. 17 18 Whereas, the members of the South Carolina House of 19 Representatives were deeply saddened by the passing of the 20 Reverend O’Neal Miller of Saint Stephen on March 28, 2017, at 21 the venerable age of nearly eightyfour; and 22 23 Whereas, born April 14, 1933, in Williamsburg County, the 24 Reverend O’Neal Miller was the son of the late Reverend Huley 25 Miller and the late Nettie Parson Miller Smith. He was a graduate 26 of Williamsburg High School in Salters; and 27 28 Whereas, at an early age, O’Neal Miller joined St. Phillip African 29 Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church. He soon accepted Christ as 30 his personal Savior. He also became an active member of the 31 Sunday School and the ACE League. Reverend Miller did not 32 allow anything to stand in the way of his work for the Lord. He 33 believed God’s love for him would allow him to know everything 34 he needed to know to promote God’s kingdom; and 35 36 Whereas, in May 1954, Reverend Miller preached his first sermon 37 and later that same year was admitted to the Palmetto Annual 38 Conference. Four years later, Reverend Miller received his 39 itinerant deacon degree and in 1956 added to it his itinerant elder 40 degree; and 41

[4104] 2 1 Whereas, Reverend Miller’s fortyfiveyear journey as an AME 2 pastor took him to various towns and cities in South Carolina. His 3 first church was his father’s last church. He began his ministry in 4 the Lake City Circuit, where he served for five years. He then 5 served in the Johnsonville Circuit (ten years), Great Present Circuit 6 (seven years), Brown Chapel and Reeder Point AME churches 7 (five years), St. John AME Church of Pawley’s Island (eight 8 years), St. Paul of Little River (five years), and Sweet Beulah 9 AME Church (five years). After his retirement, he returned to 10 Brown Chapel AME Church, where he served diligently as a part 11 of the retired ministerial staff. He was an active pulpit minister 12 until the time of his illness, thus completing a life of service 13 toward the building up of God’s kingdom; and 14 15 Whereas, on April 27, 1958, O’Neal wed his beloved Julia Alston 16 Miller, God blessing their union with two delightful daughters, 17 Melissa E. Miller and Gloria K. Pressley. The senior Millers were 18 married for fortynine years before Julia was called home to be with 19 her Savior; and 20 21 Whereas, Reverend Miller believed strongly in personal 22 involvement with his community, and his convictions led him to 23 serve that community in several capacities. He was very 24 instrumental in the Civil Rights Movement of Williamsburg 25 County in the early 1960s, marched with Dr. Martin Luther King, 26 Jr., and was very active in many community organizations. He was 27 a member of Square Deal Lodge #448 Free and Accepted Masons 28 (Kingstree), former chaplain of the Lily White Chapter #349 OES, 29 and former treasurer for the Young People’s Benefit and Christian 30 Association; and 31 32 Whereas, Reverend Miller leaves to cherish his memory his 33 daughters, Melissa E. Miller and Gloria K. Pressley, and a host of 34 other family members and friends. He will be greatly missed. 35 Now, therefore, 36 37 Be it resolved by the House of Representatives: 38 39 That the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives, 40 by this resolution, express their profound sorrow upon the passing 41 of Reverend O’Neal Miller of Saint Stephen and extend the 42 deepest sympathy to his family and many friends. 43

[4104] 3 1 Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be presented to 2 Melissa E. Miller for the family. 3 XX 4

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