Bradley James Miller, age 30, of Lansing, Illinois, formerly of Orion, the Quad Cities, and Collinsville, Illinois passed away Saturday, September 24, 2005 at St. Margaret Mercy Hospital in Dyer, Indiana following a two week hospitalization for Wegener's granulomatosis.
Brad, graduated from Orion High School in 1994 and studied at Black Hawk College and graduated this spring suma cum laudi with a bachelor's degree in psychology from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. Brad received an award for his participation in the Student Leadership Development Program at the University which included the alternative spring break trip for the past two years in which he and other students and leaders voluntarily worked on an Oklahoma Indian Reservation. Brad was also a member of Psi Chi, which is the National Honor Society in Psychology, and was to enter the Master of Social Work Program at the University of Chicago this fall.
Brad is survived by his parents, Rev. Craig and Linda Miller of Lansing, Illinois; his brother, Eric, of Moline; his sister Larissa Bailey and her husband Travis of Peoria; his grandfathers, Elmer Martin of Morrison, and Robert (R.C.) Miller of Freeport; his very special and longtime soul mate and companion, JJ (Jennifer) Jones of St. Louis (formally of the Quad Cities), aunts, uncles, cousins, and many of best friends!
Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, September 28, 2005 at Orion United Methodist Church, Orion. Visitation will be from 3-8 p.m. Tuesday at Kirk, Huggins & Esterdahl Funeral Home, Ltd., Orion. Burial will be Wednesday afternoon in Oakland Cemetery in Freeport, IL.
A special memorial fund has been established in Brad's name for the alternative spring break service trip program at SIUE. Checks may be made out to SIUE Spring Break Trip in care of United Campus Ministries, Box 1059, Edwardsville, IL 62026-1059. Please indicate on the memo line "Brad Miller fund" The event is to be later renamed in Brad's honor.
Online condolences may be expressed to Brad's family by visiting his obituary at
www.esterdahlmorturay.com