A Rosary will be recited on Sunday, October 11, 2026, from 2:30–3:00 p.m. at the Ankeny Funeral Home, 1510 West First Street, Ankeny, Iowa 50023, followed by a gathering of family and friends from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. On Monday, October 12, 2026, a second visitation will begin at 10:00 a.m. at Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart Catholic Church, 510 East First Street in Ankeny. The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m., with a luncheon immediately following the service at the church. Burial of ashes will be held at a later date at Oralabor Cemetery in Ankeny, Iowa.
Joleen was born on February 17, 1938, in Carroll to Henry A. and Dominica A. (Bauer) Tigges. Her parents owned the Tigges Tavern in Willey for many years, and when not at school she and her siblings helped her parents with the family business. She graduated from Carroll Kuemper Catholic School in 1955.
Joleen loved to dance. It made sense she met a fella from just down the road who also liked to dance, and in 1959 she was wed to Terry F. Miller of Oakland. Through many seasons of life, with many friends, and in many places, Joleen and Terry danced across the Midwest and even into the movies, serving as polka-dancing extras in the movie Grumpier Old Men. They celebrated 60 years of marriage before Terry’s death in 2019.
In the first years of their marriage, Joleen followed her husband faithfully as he traveled across the state as part of a survey crew for the Iowa Department of Transportation. In 1961, they settled in Ames, where Joleen and Terry raised three boys. She worked as a clerk and administrative assistant for the Story County Department of Health and Human Services for over two decades.
Joleen was an energetic, outgoing, and social woman who was a bright light to everyone who knew her—she embraced family, friends, and neighbors wherever she went. She kept a busy social calendar, crisscrossing the state for dances, bridge games, and family events. She loved hand quilting and completed quilts one after the other at a staggering pace, wrapping children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren in beautiful creations and the warmth of her generosity.
She is survived by her sons, Michael (Tammy) Miller of Ankeny, and Thomas (Laura) Miller of Ames; and also by her siblings, Vernon (Norma) Tigges of Dexter and Millie Wurzer of Coon Rapids.
She is survived by her grandchildren: Josh (Keesha) Webster of Boone; Brandon (Jennifer) Miller of West Des Moines; Dustin Miller, Des Moines; Elizabeth (Delphine) Miller of Paris, France; JoAnna Scott of Des Moines; Ashley (Ron) Lookingbill of Woodward, Okla.; Theresa (Eric) Edwards of Council Bluffs; Rachel (Ryan) Goetz of Ponca, Neb.; Taylor Miller of Omaha, Neb.; Karleigh Miller and fiancé Logan Hoggatt of Eau Claire, Wisc.; Mackenzie (Keegan) Wright of Keystone; Hannah (Nathan) Miller of Cedar Rapids; and Eli Miller and fiancée, Mary Boksa, of Iowa City. Joleen is also survived by 16 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her son, David J. Miller on May 31, 2016; husband, Terry Miller, on August 9, 2019; siblings Norbert Tigges on May 14, 2022; and George Tigges on May 18, 1993.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be left at www.ankenyfuneralhome.com for the Miller family.
