When I got home I went back to Fresno state and studied to be an industrial arts teacher. Woodshop, mechanical drawing, stuff like that. But when I get back I had lost my interest in teaching. I started looking around for something else to do. I thought that there was something I could do with my hands.

My brother-in-law was a watchmaker. I talked with him and he turned my tide towards watchmaking. In July, 1946, shortly after I got home I went to the American school of watchmaking in Los Angeles. It was a two year trade school and we went six hours a day.

From there I came back and got a job in Tulare before I finally bought a store here in Hanford.

I sold the business to my son Tom. He’s run the business now for about twenty years. I went to watch making school in July, 1946 and I turned it over to him in July, 1986. That was 40 years and I figured that was enough time in the business.

We also have one daughter. Her name is Peggy. She and her Husband live in Stockton. He’s an engineer. She teaches handicapped and mentally retarded children.

When I started in the watchmaking business everything was small. Small grocery stores small clothing stores small jewelry stores. Now you have big-box stores that have everything. But in most cases the people who work there don’t know anything except how to run the cash register.

We still have a good business. When people want something good they come to Miller’s jewelry store. About two weeks ago I was in the grocery store. A woman came up to me and said: “Mr. Miller, how are you?”

I looked at her and I couldn’t figure out who she was. I said: “excuse me but I don’t know your name.”

She said: “I am Mrs. Kleinhammer. You sold my husband my rings 43 years ago. See, I still have them!”

So what else have you got that you bought 43 years ago that is still as good as that? I was handling a line of jewelry called Orange Blossom.

My son makes most of his own jewelry himself. He gets blank mountings and build them up.