Departments gather to remember fallen Posey firefighter

Friday, November 24, 2006

While people recently remembered veterans who have protected the country, Reelsville Volunteer Fire Department and Posey Township Volunteer Fire Department in Clay County took a moment to remember a fallen firefighter.

Posey Assistant Chief Errett Miller was killed in a traffic accident on Sept. 4. Miller, who was driving the department's tanker, was en route to assist another department at a structure fire, when the tanker went off the road and rolled several times.

Several Putnam County fire departments attended Miller's funeral, with Reelsville acting as color guard at the burial.

To honor his memory, Reelsville photographer Kaye Hanna created a special photograph that would serve as a memorial for the time Miller served as a firefighter.

Hanna said she obtained a photograph of Miller from Posey Chief Larry Tempel and made a trip to the Posey station to take a photo of Miller's gear. Hanna then blended the two photos together to create the memorial photograph.

"I was very proud and honored to have the opportunity to create this for their fire station and his family," Hanna said.

During the Indiana Volunteer Firefighter's Association District 11B meeting, Reelsville Fire presented the photographs to Tempel and Miller's wife Jackie and son Chad.

Chief Tempel said, "It's great the way the whole, whether IVFA, the fire chiefs association, or neighboring fire departments, came to support us.

"We really appreciate it."

Posey firefighter Meri Barker said that it shows the true meaning of brotherhood.

Miller's wife Jackie only had one word to describe her feelings. "Honored."

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