Never over child’s death:

Twenty-eight years ago, Erath High 17-year-old senior Chas Milliman collapsed while jogging in front of Erath Middle School on Dec. 30, 1994.
The Milliman family is still having a hard time today dealing with his death. Every Christmas is a tough time for his mom Loretta, Chas’s younger brother Jed and sister Joni Milliman Hebert.
There are still tears shed each time the Christmas tree is put up. For years after his death, Loretta did not put up a Christmas tree because it reminded her of Chas and how he loved to hang ornaments.
This past Christmas, Loretta decided not to hang the Christmas ornaments that her children had made when they were young.
“Christmas has never been the same,” said Loretta. “We talk about Chas every Christmas.”
Years after his death, the Milliman decided to celebrate the life of Chas instead of mourning his death. So, for Christmas, the Millimans do things together as a family to honor Chas’s life.
Loretta remembers the day she saw her son
lying on the ground like yesterday.
Loretta was baking cookies when Chas told her bye and gave her a two-finger wave as he walked out of the house. That was the last time she saw him alive.
Later that day, assistant football coaches Tommie Pillette and Tommy Byler knocked on her door to tell her that Chase had collapsed while jogging.
She arrived at school and saw CPR being done on her son. Unfortunately, he died on the scene. An autopsy was performed at LSU, the college he planned on attending after high school, where it was determined he had an enlarged heart.
The Milliman family learned from the autopsy that Chas’s heart was not healthy and that a new heart would have prevented a heart attack.
Today, Chas, who was 6-2, and 280 pounds at the time of his death, would be 45 years old and working in the sports profession, said his mom.
Loretta said, “He had plans to major in mass communications at LSU. He wanted to be the voice of the LSU Tigers one day. He loved talking to everyone. He had an internship set up at LSU.”
Loretta said Chas managed to get to LSU, but that is because that was where an autopsy was performed on him.
“He was a great kid, and I am still not over his death,” said Loretta.