Church, Community Focus Of Family Killed In Train Crash
TRINIDAD, Colo. (AP) - Church and community were central to the lives of the Colorado family hit by an Amtrak train on their way to Sunday services according to relatives and pastors who knew them.
The collision killed all but one member of the Miller family, a 4-year-old girl seated the farthest from where the Los Angeles-bound Southwest Chief hit their 2005 Chrysler Town & Country as it crossed a marked but ungated railroad crossing outside Trinidad, possibly running late for services at Faith Christian Fellowship, Trooper Art Gumke of the Colorado State Patrol said Tuesday.
Thirty-two-year-old Stephen Miller, who was driving, and his wife, Christina Miller, 33, were killed along with their three other daughters, aged 6, 2 and 8 months. Gumke said the minivan was moving at the time of the crash and was not stuck.
Amtrak is investigating whether the train sounded its horn before the collision at the crossing which was slated to get flashing lights and a gate because of previous crashes.
The pastor of Faith Christian, Alvin Yoder, said the Miller family moved to the area near Trinidad, about 15 miles from the New Mexico border, about five years ago to join other relatives who lived there and join the predominantly Mennonite church. Stephen Miller, who worked on a farm run by Yoder's sons, served as the church's treasurer, volunteered as an usher and sometimes led worship services. Yoder said he was not set to serve on Sunday morning but had been scheduled to lead the evening service later that day.
Yoder said Stephen Miller was someone who would stop to help anyone in trouble and had made a lot of friends because of his openness and his wife and daughters were also loveable and giving. Yoder credited their faith in God for their actions and outlook on life.
"It's going to leave a very, very big hole in our congregation," he said.
Stephen Miller's father, Andrew Miller, a farmer in Ovid, Michigan, said his son enjoyed being a part of the community in and around the former coal mining town and he is grateful for all those residents who are now supporting his family after their loss.
"We know this is hard but we know that God is in it," he said.
Volunteers are already busily cooking meals to feed the estimated 300 relatives expected for the family's funeral, which will be held Friday, at another church where Stephen Miller attended a monthly men's Bible study.
Pastor Cary Nelson said people in the community are used to hard times because of the boom-and-bust cycles came with being dependent on coal and then oil and gas.
"Trinidad has a lot of problems. Generosity is not one of its problems," he said.
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