Joyce D Miller

A Visitation will be held on Sunday, January 11, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Dugan-Kramer Funeral Home & Crematory, Scottsbluff. A Celebration of Life Service will take place at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, January 12 at Harvest Valley Church, 743 Winter Creek Drive, Scottsbluff, Nebraska followed by burial at Mitchell Cemetery. Fond memories and condolences may be left at www.dugankramer.com for the Miller family.

Joyce D. Miller was born on September 22, 1935, in Sidney, Nebraska, the youngest of nine children born to Frank and Sophie (Seda) Hengl. She attended school in Sidney and graduated from Sidney High School in 1953.

Joyce met Gerald “Jerry” Miller of Firesteel, South Dakota, when he moved to Sidney to work in the oil fields. The two were married on November 13, 1955, at the Methodist Church and from this union five children were born, Scott, Dan, Marcy, Rick, and Melissa.

Joyce began her career as a bookkeeper for J.C. Penney Company in Sidney from 1951 to 1955. From 1955-59, she served as secretary to O.J. Weymouth, Superintendent of Sidney Public Schools. From 1959-78, Joyce devoted herself to being a homemaker, raising their five children. During those years, she also worked seasonally, preparing income taxes for a CPA firm in Scottsbluff during the spring and working for Great Western Sugar during beet harvest in the fall.

Following Jerry’s open-heart surgery in 1978, Joyce went to work as a full-time secretary at Great Western Sugar in Scottsbluff. When the company closed in 1985, she returned to her seasonal work, continuing tax preparation in the spring and weighing beet trucks during the harvest season. Joyce continued weighing beets until she was 85 years old.

Joyce and Jerry lived in Sidney, Nebraska; Fort Morgan and Brush, Colorado; Scottsbluff, Nebraska; and later Mitchell, Nebraska. In 1972, they purchased 10 acres on the outskirts of Mitchell. They placed their home on five acres and developed Paradise Acres Mobile Home Park on the remaining five acres, which they owned, maintained, and managed together until it was sold in August of 2015.

Joyce and Jerry were married for 63 years and truly did everything together. They enjoyed traveling throughout the United States, participating in parades, listening to country music, and taking rides on Sunday afternoons. They also cherished camping and spending time with their dear friends, the Kremans, Carlsons, and Gilberts.

Joyce had a creative spirit and enjoyed making handmade craft items at special times of the year to gift her children. She loved her home and both Jerry and she enjoyed decorating it on all the holidays especially during the Christmas season.

Joyce loved the outdoors deeply and would have lived outside year-round if she could. She found great joy in maintaining her beautiful lawn, large garden, and vibrant flowers, and she appreciated God’s creation in every season, especially the brilliant colors of fall and the beauty of sunrises, sunsets, and the moon shining brightly at night. Joyce loved all sports but had a passion for watching college basketball, volleyball, and football. She was a loyal Nebraska Husker fan and, in her later years, especially loved Nebraska volleyball.

In December of 2018, Joyce received Miss Kitty as a Christmas gift. Jerry passed away the following month, and Miss Kitty became Joyce’s devoted companion and source of comfort for the next five years. In 2020, Joyce sold her home outside of Mitchell and moved, along with Miss Kitty, into a small duplex in town, a place she truly adored and was proud to call home.

Joyce had a quiet spirit for the Lord and found joy in His creation. Joyce dearly loved her children and family and was very proud of them.

Joyce is survived by her children and their spouses: Scott and Hope Miller of Mitchell, Nebraska, Dan and Cindy Miller of Glendale, Arizona; Rick Miller of Scottsbluff, Nebraska, Marcy and Gary Wagner of Larned, Kansas; and Melissa and Lance Ringhausen of Rolla, Missouri. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Lori (Pete) Schaar, Stacy (Jeff) Darnell, Michael (Ashley) Miller, Caishen Miller, Crystal (Derrick) Dart, Amanda (Thad) Jaris, Caden (Jessica) Miller, Christian Miller; Madison Miller; and Linden Ringhausen; thirteen great-grandchildren; three great-great-grandchildren. She is also survived by one brother, La Vern Hengl, along with several nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews.

Joyce was preceded in death by her husband, Gerald “Jerry” Miller; her parents, Frank and Sophie Hengl; her brothers Adolph, Clyde, Virgil, Harold, and Wayne Hengl; her sisters Clara Warner and Dorothy Nelson; her daughter-in-law Kary Miller; six sisters-in-law; two brothers-in-law; several nieces and nephews and one great niece.