3 minute read
A Judge for the People
by KYLE BARRETT
o all, free time is precious. Many people find their weekends consumed with T hobbies, like sports, golf, or fishing. Very few enjoy spending their time after work hours volunteering for people they don’t know. Yet, city council members, mayors, county commissioners, and judges are always on call 24/7 for neighbors, friends, journalists, and citizens. A thankless job for many, serving the community in political roles has been rewarding and exciting for local attorney, husband, father, and lifetime public servant, Judge Ed Miller.
Judge Miller came of age in politics when doing good for all overrode any political affiliation. Described by friends as an optimist, a thinker, and a man of many eloquent conversations, Miller’s concern with the betterment of local, regional, and national laws started as a young student at Texarkana College. Following his education at Texarkana College, Ed left for The University of Texas at Austin, where he earned his law degree, and he also served in the military.
Commissioner Dale Barrett with Judge Ed Miller
Judge Ed Miller, Melinda Miller Holt, Governor Ann Richards, and Dottie Miller Former U.S. Representative Ralph Hall, Judge Ed Miller, and Former U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison
President Bill Clinton with Judge Miller and his grandsons.
Left: Judge Miller with daughters Melinda Miller Holt, Anna Hornsby, and with Dottie. Below left: Back row: Dottie Miller, Jared Holt, Connor Hornsby, Lauren Hornsby, and Miller Hornsby. Front: Austin Holt and Judge Miller
Many years later, Ed would come back to TC to serve the community college where he got his start as a college board member, serving several terms and even being elected president of the board of trustees.
Ed enjoyed participating in grassroots politics and uniting people for causes that served the betterment of all. Elected three times to serve on the Democratic National Committee from Texas, Ed represented Texans on a national level, but always kept Texarkana in mind. In the seventies, he was elected to the Texarkana, Texas, City Council, where he saw many fulfilling projects come to fruition. Toward the end of the 1970s, Miller became more engaged, representing a larger group of area citizens of Bowie County in his elected role as county judge; this was a fun position for Ed, and he always enjoyed the elections process. Judge Miller understood what it took to get voters to the polls, and he could visit with laborers and lawyers with a similar individual respect and kindness. Throughout this interview, Judge Miller never once claimed to have gotten something done for the city, county, or region on his own; however, Ed was known to go wherever the politicians were if it meant gaining their trust and bending their ears about the needs of Bowie County. Yet, when asked, “Judge Miller, how did you make that particular project happen?” Judge Miller replied, “I always enjoyed working together with the commissioners to get that done.” Or, “it wasn’t me. It was the entire board of Texarkana College.” Ed’s wish for the future is that both political parties at local and national levels put aside their differences and work together for the betterment of all entirely. Judge Miller is no doubt passionate about politics, but even his love for the law and his love for his country couldn’t overshadow the love he has for his dear wife, Dottie, and daughters Melinda and Anna Marie, their husbands, and grandchildren. I, Kyle Barrett, grew up watching my dad, Dale Barrett, work on the Commissioners Court with Judge Miller. They worked toward the betterment of our county and I am proud to call Judge Ed Miller a friend to me and all he served.
