NEW ALBANY, Ind. — What was a seemingly normal Tuesday afternoon for Stephen Milliner, quickly turned into a surprise of a lifetime.
Milliner pulled into the Floyd Central High School parking lot to see his three children and grandchildren waiting for him next to a long, white trailer.
Someone opened the trailer, and out drove a rare 1969 Chevrolet Nova Yenko.
"Unbelievable!" Milliner exclaimed, as he wrapped his daughter Sherri in a hug.
The last time Milliner saw this exact car was in 1978, when he and his two brothers found the car parked in an Indiana cow pasture and fixed it up. His brothers ended up selling the car.
“I really didn’t know what happened to it, who it went to, or anything like that," he said.
The car found its way to Dennis Albaugh, an American billionaire businessman who lives in Iowa.
One of Milliner's daughters, Sherri, found an article online claiming Albaugh had the exact car her dad has remembered for decades. This discovery led to the 1969 Chevrolet making the 600 mile trek to Floyd County.
“I’m a very blessed man, believe me," Milliner said. “About a year ago, it was getting pretty grim.”
Milliner was diagnosed with terminal cancer last April.
“We were on our 50th wedding anniversary and I was going to shave, we were going to go to the Country Music Museum, I was getting ready to shave and I reach across my body to grab my razor and I felt a real sharp pain in my rib," he said.
This surprise meant Milliner was able to take his wife of 50 years on a joy ride, in the car from his young adulthood.
“She’s the rock," he said. "She’s the reason I’m here today. The person I am is because of her."
Looking around the parking lot, Milliner had tears in his eyes talking about his love and appreciation for his family.
“God has his hand on me all the time," he said. “You don’t find cancer that you’ve never hurt from before ever, unless God lets you know some other way. That’s the story and here I am. Very blessed…very blessed.”
While undergoing treatment, Milliner continues to coach football. With pride in his eyes, he said how he has coached football for all of his grandchildren, which started by coaching for his children growing up.
“I’m a very blessed man, believe me," he said.
After riding around the parking lot in the car found in a cow pasture, Milliner pulled out his phone to show a picture of an orange 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8.
“I did eventually get to get my dream car," he said.
Milliner bought his dream car two years ago, and in 2024 he was able to drive the car that may have started it all.
“This is one of those things that’s a test, I’m sure," he said. "You don’t know how much you’re loved until something like this happens."