William “Bill” Miller 1927-2019

Boughton Church was full on Jan 30 for a memorial service to a long time village resident Bill Miller. The service was led by Rev Ken Waters, whilst the eulogy was given by Bill’s son David, who spoke of his father’s early career in the Royal Navy, before the family move from Ten Mile Bank to Boughton in 1947, to start a life in farming. We were reminded that over the years his father had seen a huge change in farming methods, from horse drawn to mechanisation. David told the congregation of his parents’ affection for Boughton: he recalled that they had had to curtail one holiday and return home as Mum was so homesick. Finally retiring, his father had undergone major heart surgery at Papworth, before becoming a full time carer for his beloved wife Joan, who had suffered a stroke in 1999. His father, he said, with his military background (he always wore his RN veterans hat with pride) had been moved to fund restoration of the village War Memorial, even employing a forensics expert to decipher the inscriptions which time had rendered virtually illegible. The work was done so well that the Memorial is now listed. Following Joan’s death, after 61 years of happy marriage, failing health in turn meant that Bill had finally to leave Boughton in 2016, for residential care in Ripon, close to his son. The service over, everyone was able to mingle and share memories, whilst enjoying a nip of sherry and some delicious refreshments. A retiring collection raised, with Gift Aid, £185 each for the funds of the Church and Boughton Cricket Club, both which Bill had supported, in addition to Papworth Hospital and the Canaries – Norwich City Football Club.