Neil Wade Miller | December 18, 1971 - June 19, 2022
Obituaries-Pierre / Posted Aug 10, 2022 | 5:44 AM / 400 views
Neil Wade Miller, 50, of Pierre, SD, passed away on June 19, 2022. A graveside service will be held at 2:00pm on Saturday, September 3rd at the Chapelle Cemetery at DeGrey.
He was born the third child of Richard Oliver and Marilyn Francis King Miller on December 18, 1971, in Missoula, MT. He lived there with his dad and mom for about three years. He then went to Oregon to live with his dad and step-mother, Linda. He was about seven years old when he came to South Dakota with his two sisters, Gwenda and Tabatha, to live with his aunt and uncle, Gary and Carol Koehn, then eventually living with his Uncle Dale and Aunt Donna Sanborn, and Grandpa and Grandma Sanborn. He attended many different schools; the one he had the most memories of was Raber, a two-room country school. Two teachers he was very fond of were Judy Hansen and Artie Lea Schroyer. He didn’t finish high school but learned a lot from his mentors, Grandpa Robert Sanborn, Uncle Dale, and Gene Meleen. He worked for Gene for a long time along with the Etzkorn family. Gene helped him get his first truck. He went trucking for a long-haul trucking company and drove all over the US.
Neil met the love of his life, Janet Einek in 2004. She went with him in the truck and they were married June 21, 2013. Along with a wife came three step-daughters whom he claimed as his, along with their families. He trucked until he had an accident at which point, he thought he needed to take a break. So, he sold his truck and they bought a home. Jan went to work for Cowboy Country Store, and Neil for Gene Meleen, Mark Metzinger, and other local farmers. He was having a hard time with some health issues after another older accident in Oregon that injured his back and couldn’t be repaired. So, he was in a lot of pain. He was a hard worker. He will be missed greatly by those who loved him. May he rest in peace now that the pain is gone.
Neil is survived by his wife Janet and step-daughters, Tami (Bob) McCauley and children Claire and Brooke; Ruth (Casey) Peterson and children Aedyn, Lily, and Dustin; and Jessica Downs, all of Rapid City, SD, his siblings, brothers Steve, SD and James (Pearl) Miller of MN, and children, sisters Gwenda Reed and family of Oregon; Tabatha (Beth); Darlie McMillian and family, CO; Diane Moore, CO, special aunt and uncle Dale and Donna Sanborn, Pierre, SD, , special Aunt Carol Koehn, many nieces and nephews, special cousins Vicki Sanborn Schlaht, CA; Darcy Sanborn, CO; Dena Sanborn, ID; Cory Sanborn, MT, many more cousins and special friends, one sister-in-law Judy Einck, Uncles Lowell King, SD; Gary King, WY; and Greg Moir, SD.
Neil is preceded in death by his father Richard O. Miller, mother Marilyn Francis (King) Miller, grandparents Forest and Francis (Lomica) King, Grandpa Darrell Miller, Step-grandpa Robert Sanborn, Grandma Cora Sanborn, sister Debbie Burrts, brother-in-law Gordon Reed, Aunts Thelma King; Phyllis Moir, aunts and uncles Chuck and Helen King; Bob and Dixie King; Bud and Donna King; Delores and Dave O’Connor; Mary Ellen and Gary Wiff, niece Rachel Coberley, special uncle Gary Koehn, and Charles and Pixie Sanborn.