Arthur Milner: A century of service
Lead Summary
By
Steve Roush-
NOTE: This is Part 4 of a series leading up to the Highland County Historical Society inducting four more people into its Hall of Fame on Aug. 18. This week, we profile the late Arthur H. “Art” Milner (1903-2004).
Ladies and gentlemen, Arthur Milner was a legislator, educator, farmer and longtime leader in church, civic and Masonic organizations.
As a young man, he helped excavate the area for the then-new Leesburg school building and then participated in the groundbreaking for the present Fairfield school.
Milner served as a teacher, coach, principal and superintendent during his career as an educator.
The position that he held dear was being superintendent of Samantha High School, where he also coached a winning women’s basketball team.
During his eight years of service in the Ohio House of Representatives (1950-58), representing Highland County, Milner served on the education subcommittee that established the Ohio State Board of Education as an elected body. He also served on the agriculture committee.
Milner served his community by being a charter member of the Leesburg Lions Club and First Master of the local Grange.
He was an active member of the Lions Club until in his late 90s.
For years, he taught his Friends Church Sunday school “Golden Rule Class,” which started as the young married group. He was a member of the Masons and Eastern Star chapters.
He and his wife, Helen, were both active in Eastern Star. Milner served at least 10 times as worthy patron, among other positions in Eastern Star.
As a farmer, Milner continued the dairy business that the family had started when he was growing up, which included a milk bottling plant in the lower level of the house.
He raised registered Guernsey cows, Spotted Poland China hogs, Southdown sheep, goats and both work and pleasure horses.
He showed dairy cattle and hogs at county fairs in the region, as well as at the state fair. He showed at the Hillsboro street fair and was an organizer in reinstating the Highland County Fair. He was appointed to the first Ohio Exposition Commission and served on the commission for 13 years, 12 as vice chairman. He was inducted into both the Fifty-Year Club and the Hall of Fame of the Ohio State Fair.
Milner graduated from Leesburg High School and received degrees from Wilmington College.
In addition to the awards at the State Fair, he was honored as a: Melvin Jones fellow in Lions; grand marshal of the bicentennial parade in Leesburg; grand marshal of the Fall Festival parade in Leesburg; and the Highland County Fair Hall of Fame.
In addition to Milner, the Highland County Historical Society will induct Jack Hope, Willard Parr and the late Wilfred Konneker into its Hall of Fame.
The ceremony will be held at the First Presbyterian Church in Hillsboro on Sunday, Aug. 18 at 2 p.m., with a reception and social hour immediately following at the Highland House Museum. The Highland County Historical Society cordially invites the public to attend and honor this outstanding group.
For more information on the Highland County Historical Society or the upcoming Hall of Fame ceremony, please call (937) 393-3392 or email the society at hchistoricalsociety@gmail.com.
Steve Roush is vice chairman of the Highland County Historical Society Board of Trustees, a vice president of an international media company and a columnist and contributing writer for The Highland County Press. He can be reached by email at roush_steve@msn.com.
Ladies and gentlemen, Arthur Milner was a legislator, educator, farmer and longtime leader in church, civic and Masonic organizations.
As a young man, he helped excavate the area for the then-new Leesburg school building and then participated in the groundbreaking for the present Fairfield school.
Milner served as a teacher, coach, principal and superintendent during his career as an educator.
The position that he held dear was being superintendent of Samantha High School, where he also coached a winning women’s basketball team.
During his eight years of service in the Ohio House of Representatives (1950-58), representing Highland County, Milner served on the education subcommittee that established the Ohio State Board of Education as an elected body. He also served on the agriculture committee.
Milner served his community by being a charter member of the Leesburg Lions Club and First Master of the local Grange.
He was an active member of the Lions Club until in his late 90s.
For years, he taught his Friends Church Sunday school “Golden Rule Class,” which started as the young married group. He was a member of the Masons and Eastern Star chapters.
He and his wife, Helen, were both active in Eastern Star. Milner served at least 10 times as worthy patron, among other positions in Eastern Star.
As a farmer, Milner continued the dairy business that the family had started when he was growing up, which included a milk bottling plant in the lower level of the house.
He raised registered Guernsey cows, Spotted Poland China hogs, Southdown sheep, goats and both work and pleasure horses.
He showed dairy cattle and hogs at county fairs in the region, as well as at the state fair. He showed at the Hillsboro street fair and was an organizer in reinstating the Highland County Fair. He was appointed to the first Ohio Exposition Commission and served on the commission for 13 years, 12 as vice chairman. He was inducted into both the Fifty-Year Club and the Hall of Fame of the Ohio State Fair.
Milner graduated from Leesburg High School and received degrees from Wilmington College.
In addition to the awards at the State Fair, he was honored as a: Melvin Jones fellow in Lions; grand marshal of the bicentennial parade in Leesburg; grand marshal of the Fall Festival parade in Leesburg; and the Highland County Fair Hall of Fame.
In addition to Milner, the Highland County Historical Society will induct Jack Hope, Willard Parr and the late Wilfred Konneker into its Hall of Fame.
The ceremony will be held at the First Presbyterian Church in Hillsboro on Sunday, Aug. 18 at 2 p.m., with a reception and social hour immediately following at the Highland House Museum. The Highland County Historical Society cordially invites the public to attend and honor this outstanding group.
For more information on the Highland County Historical Society or the upcoming Hall of Fame ceremony, please call (937) 393-3392 or email the society at hchistoricalsociety@gmail.com.
Steve Roush is vice chairman of the Highland County Historical Society Board of Trustees, a vice president of an international media company and a columnist and contributing writer for The Highland County Press. He can be reached by email at roush_steve@msn.com.