John Miller

John Miller, age 90, of Sioux Rapids, Iowa died on Saturday, August 3, 2019 at St. Luke Lutheran Home in Spencer, Iowa.

John (Jack) Austin Miller , the son of John Alden Miller and Edna (Olsen) Miller, was born February 10,1929 in Newell, Iowa. Jack spent his childhood in the Newell/Storm Lake area and graduated from Storm Lake High School in 1947. Jack worked for the Storm Lake Register/Pilot Tribune doing the printing press and delivering papers during high school. He joined the Navy in June of 1947 and traveled to San Diego where he attended the Naval Conservatory of Music, playing the tuba and string base. He served on the USS Helena and traveled the world preforming in the Admiral"s Band. Jack was a Korean War veteran.  After serving in the navy he attended school for telephone connections and built telephone offices working for Western Electric.

On June 5, 1953, Jack was united in marriage to Wanda Kraft for over 50 years until Wanda passed away in 2004. From this union they were blessed with three children John, Julie, and David. In their early married years they lived a number of places while Jack continued to work on installing telephone offices, he also served as a police officer in Pocahontas for a short time. Jack then took a job as a manager of a telephone coop in Winthrop, Iowa and lived there 6 years at which time the family bought a farm near Sioux Rapids area. Jack loved farming and raising animals. In the 1980's he began to work traveling around the United States and installing fiber optics. Jack spent his last nearly 16 employed years as an electronic's specialist at the Spencer Walmart where at the age of 85 he retired to live on the farm until 4 days before he passed away at age 90.

Jack had many hobbies; he raced cars, hunted, fished, wrote a few short science fiction novels and poetry, collected movies, and loved to listen to classical music. His favorite hobby was flying. Jack became a pilot in 1950 and was the member of several flying clubs and owned a couple planes of his own. 

Jack passed away on Saturday, Aug. 3, 2019 at St. Luke's Care Facility in Spencer at the age of 90. Jack is survived by his children: John and Dawn Miller of Albert City, Iowa; Jon and Julie Bright of Sioux Rapids, Iowa; and David and Lisa Miller of Marathon, Iowa. Grandchildren Cody(Brandi) Miller of Ruthven, Iowa; Kirk(Mallory) Bright of Sioux Rapids, Iowa; Eric(Val) Miller of Linn Grove, Iowa; Kayla(Bright) and Stephen Tjaden of Sioux Rapids, Iowa; Alex(Melissa) Miller of Marathon, Iowa; Kaleb(Kelsey) Miller of Sioux Rapids, Iowa; and Colton Miller of Minneapolis, Minnesota: 16 great-grandchildren; two sisters; three brother-in-laws; four sister-in-laws, and many loving nieces, nephews and friends. He was preceded in death by his wife; his parents; his brother and a sister;  four brother-in-laws; and a great-granddaughter.

Jack will be greatly missed.

 A private family service is planned.

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