GOSHEN —
It’s been two months since the brutal murder of Goshen College professor James Miller that left the Maple City reeling. But events like Sunday’s help remind people what community is all about.
A brunch was held Sunday morning at Westlawn Dining Hall on the campus of Goshen College, with all proceeds and donations going directly to the family of Miller. The meal was provided by AVI Fresh catering service. While there was no specific goal in terms of amount of money raised, AVI Fresh resident director Bob Rombach said that he hoped “to raise a couple thousand dollars” for the family, before rushing off to prepare more food for the Sunday crowd eager to enjoy a delicious brunch. Not even halfway through the event, cashier Deb Hostetler counted 160 people had come through the line.
“That’s a really good number so far,” Hostetler said.
John Ingold, former Goshen College professor and next door neighbor to the Miller home on Wildwood Court, was enjoying a meal of pork, potatoes and corn with his son Sunday. He noted in between bites that people in the neighborhood are definitely a little more cautious than they were prior to the murder.
“We lock our doors more often than we did before,” Ingold said. “But the family seems to be holding up well.”
While Ingold is retired after 40 years as a full-time GC employee, he does volunteer his time as a bus driver, providing a unique perspective on not only mood around the neighborhood but also the college.
“At the beginning people (around campus) were very concerned,” Ingold said, noting that there is still a sense of sadness and concern due to “a horrific, senseless crime that resulted in the loss of a person contributing so much.”
While not everyone that came to the brunch knows the Miller family directly, most people have some connection to the incident that drew them to the brunch. Larry Ford of Goshen worked the graveyard shift as night security at Greencroft for 14 years, which is across the street from the neighborhood the Miller’s live. He said that during his time working at Greencroft, he never expected such a horrific incident in that part of town.
“This city, that neighborhood, is the last place you would expect something like this to happen,” Ford said.
GC alumnus Nancy Leichty of Goshen also did not know the family personally, but like so many others in the community, felt a calling to help any way she could.
“It’s so hard to imagine what they are going through, I just wanted to be able to support the family,” Leichty said.
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Cashier Deb Hostetler drops a donation into a box reserved for former Goshen College professor James Miller Sunday at Westlawn Dining Hall on the campus of Goshen College. JUSTIN CRIPE | THE GOSHEN NEWS
Lunch at Goshen College raises money for family of slain professor
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