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Keith McCord ReportingThere is some fond reminiscing going on at the fire station in Farmington City. Yesterday long-time employee Lawrence Miller passed away at the age of 90. He'd worked at that same fire station for the past 70 years.
Talk about your dedicated employees, Lawrence Miller was first hired as a Farmington City Fireman on July 1, 1935, at the age of 18 -- he never left!
Larry Gregory, Farmington Fire Chief: "He recently served as my secretary treasurer. He was active right up to the time he passed away."
Lawrence died yesterday of natural causes. At the station today firefighters and other friends remembered the special man-- not just as a co-worker, but really, a member of the family.
Capt. Rich Love, Farmington F.D.: "More of a father, even a grandfather figure. He taught everybody a lot about dedication."
Larry Gregory: "The guys all loved him. It was real cute to see him come in for a drill, kind of hobble in in his old age, and the guys would jump up and get him a wheelchair for him to sit down on. They respected him. Just a tremendous man."
We don't know if seven decades at the same workplace sets any kind of record, but it's certainly impressive. Over the years he held just about every job in the department, except Chief. And current Fire Chief Larry Gregory says Miller kept meticulous books, tracking all calls and hours worked for each employee, without a computer.
Larry Gregory, Farmington Fire Chief: "He did it all by hand. He's got spreadsheets up there. And they're immaculate. And we've never been challenged on it. They were accurate to the nth degree."
Captain Rich Love, his wife Cindy, and daughter Sadie, knew Miller for 20-years. He was always with them for special holiday dinners and birthday celebrations. Cindy Love: "And we just love him so much and will miss him so much that he was just so much a part of our family."
Larry Gregory, Farmington Fire Chief: "I think he realized that he had a role to play with us and that he was valued. He was very important to us in what we were trying to do. Q-and he'll be missed he will be seriously missed."
Farmington holds its annual parade tomorrow. The fire department will honor Lawrence Miller when the parade goes past his house. Miller's funeral will be next Monday in Farmington.
