Ellsworth B. Miller
Early Life
Ellsworth B. Miller was born on January 3, 1896, in Rye, New York, the son of William Miller and Elizabeth Klaes Miller. He grew up in Rye at a time when the community was transitioning from a rural town into a developing suburban area tied closely to New York City.
By early adulthood, he had entered the skilled trades, working as a steamfitter, a profession that required technical knowledge and supported both industrial and residential infrastructure. Census records show that by 1930 he was living in Rye at 10 Bulkley Avenue with his wife, Emily, and their young daughters, Janet and Emily, reflecting a working-class family rooted in the growing suburban corridor of Westchester County.
By 1940, the family had relocated to 12 Bulkley Avenue in Rye, where he continued working as a steamfitter. The household included his wife and daughters Janet and Dolores, and their residence during the Great Depression years reflects stability within a challenging economic period.
World War I Service
Miller entered military service on June 23, 1916, in White Plains, New York, as a member of the New York National Guard. He was assigned to Company L, 10th Infantry Regiment, New York National Guard, which was later reorganized as Company A of the 107th Infantry Regiment, part of the 27th Division.
The 107th Infantry Regiment was a New York unit that saw extensive combat service in France, including major operations along the Hindenburg Line, where American forces supported British offensives during the final phase of the war.
Miller served overseas from May 10, 1918, to March 6, 1919, as part of the American Expeditionary Forces. During his service, he attained the rank of Private First Class on July 9, 1918. He sustained no wounds or injuries in action.
He was honorably discharged on April 2, 1919, following demobilization.
Life After Service
Following his military service, Miller returned to civilian life and resumed his work as a steamfitter. He remained in the Rye and Port Chester area, raising his family and maintaining steady employment in his trade.
Later in life, he worked on a defense project in New Bern, North Carolina, reflecting the continued demand for skilled labor during the early years of World War II. While working there, he died suddenly on March 9, 1942, at St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bern.
He was a member of Les Vingt Cinq Post of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and belonged to the Church of Our Lady of Mercy, indicating his continued connection to both veteran and religious communities.
Funeral services were held at his residence at 234 Seymour Road in Port Chester, followed by a Requiem Mass at the Church of Our Lady of Mercy. Interment took place at Greenwood Union Cemetery in Rye, with full military honors conducted by his V.F.W. post.
At the time of his death, he was survived by his wife, Amelia Wrona Miller; his daughters, Jeannette Miller and Dolores Miller; and his sister, Mrs. Eugene Chapderlain of Rye.