John Miler (1910 - 1976)

MILER, MILETICH, SCHWANK, ROSENBLOOM, BAER, BRADOCK, CARNERA, LOUIS, HAZZARD, BUCKHIEM, KRPAN

Posted By: DJ Scieszinski
Date: 1/13/2023 at 15:29:12

The Monroe County News, Albia, IA
Monday, June 21, 1976

Rites today for Miler

John Miler, 65, 409 N, D St., died Thursday at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Iowa City.

Funeral services were held this morning at St. Mary's Catholic Church with the Rev. Raymond F. Schwank officiating. Graveside military rites and burial was in St. Mary's Cemetery.

Miler was born July 24, 1910 in Hocking, the son of Steve and Kathryn Miletich.

He was a widely known boxer in the 1930's when he dropped the family name of Miletich and took his professional name of Miler. He boxed professionally with Maxey Rosenbloom and Max Baer and faced James Bradock and Primo Carnera in exhibition matches. But it was in a 1931 match to represent the US as an amateur boxer in the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles that he won his most lasting fame when he bested another amateur by the name of Joe Louis, who later held the world heavyweight title for a number of years.

Miler retired from the ring in 1936. He was a member of the Albia Police department from 1939 to 1944 when he entered the U. S. Navy. Following his discharge in 1945 he joined the Department of Public Safety, working as a special agent until retiring in 1972.

Surviving are five brothers, Frank of Albia, Milton of Osceola, Steve of Beverly Hills, Calif., Fred of Port Angeles, Wash., and Robert of East Moline, Ill, and four sisters, Mrs. Mary Hazzard and Mrs. Leona Buckhiem, both of Detroit, Mrs. Helen Krpan of Pekin, Ill. and Miss Ann Miletich of Albia.

A rosary was recited Sunday night at the Geyer Funeral Home.

NOTE: Birth name John Miletich. Son of Steve and Kathryn Miletich. Never Married.