J. Wayne Miller

J. Wayne Miller, age 100, passed away on Saturday, November 15, 2025, at the Lake Mills Care Center in Lake Mills, Iowa

A private graveside service was held at the Armstrong Grove Cemetery, Armstrong, Iowa.

A celebration of life service will begin at 2:00 PM on Saturday, May 30, 2026, at Schott Funeral Homes – Mittelstadt Chapel, with Mr. Kermit Singelstad officiating. Visitation will take place one hour prior to the service.

Military honors will be performed by the Otto/Chose American Legion Post #235.

James Wayne Miller, a dedicated conservationist and proud U.S. Marine Corps veteran, passed away after a life rich in service and family devotion. Born on December 21, 1924, to Bessie Carolyn (Evans) and James Thomas Miller on a family farm near Dolliver in Emmet County, Iowa, Wayne’s rural upbringing instilled in him a strong work ethic that guided him throughout his life.

He attended Ringsted Community Schools, where he was an active participant in both baseball and basketball, and graduated high school in 1943. Following graduation, with the United States engaged in World War II, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps. Serving in the Pacific theater with the First Marine Division, he operated as a gunner in a Sherman tank and fought bravely in the battles of Peleliu and Okinawa. After the Japanese surrender, he was deployed to China to assist in the post-war transition before receiving his honorable discharge in 1946.

Utilizing the G.I. Bill, Wayne pursued higher education at Iowa State University, attending for four years. During his summers, he worked for the U.S. Forest Service in western Montana and northern Idaho. He earned a degree in Forestry with a minor in Wildlife in 1950. On June 12, 1949, he married the former Mildred E. Knott.

Wayne’s professional career began at the Long Bell Lumber Company in Weed, California, leading to subsequent moves to Longview, Washington, where the couple started their family with the birth of their children Janet and David, and later to Kansas City, Missouri, where their third child, Jill, was born. He then worked for the U.S. Forest Service at the Savenac tree nursery in Haugen, Montana, now a National Historic Site.

In 1956, the family moved to Lake Mills, Iowa, where Wayne was employed by the Wendell Brown Lumber Company. The year 1956 also marked the birth of their fourth child, Barbara. In 1964, he managed the Northwood Lumber Company in Northwood, Iowa. Following its sale in 1967, Wayne established his own successful wholesale lumber company, working as a sales representative for western lumber mills for over 30 years until his retirement in 1989.

Wayne was an engaged and respected member of the Lake Mills community, offering his time and expertise to numerous boards, including the Board of Trustees for Salem Lutheran Church, the Rice Lake Country Club Board during its expansion to 18 holes, and the Lake Mills Zoning Board for three decades. His commitment to conservation was evident through his active involvement with Ducks Unlimited, which honored him with a Distinguished Service Award in 1987 for his outstanding contributions as a committee chairman.

Post-retirement, his passion for the environment continued as he tirelessly worked at the Winnebago County Lande Conservation area, personally planting approximately 3,000 trees. Recognized as a “Friend of Conservation” by the Winnebago Conservation Board in 1988, he urged others to preserve natural resources.

His leisure time was spent hunting, fishing, golfing, traveling, and enjoying family and friends. He especially enjoyed turkey hunting in Iowa, where he shot two trophy turkeys. In 2004, both Wayne and his wife, Milly, were honored as July Jubilee Parade Marshals in acknowledgment of their significant contributions to the Lake Mills community.

He is survived by his four children: Janet (John Craychee) of St. Charles, Illinois; David Miller (Nancy) of Lac du Flambeau, Wisconsin; Jill Miller (Jim Naibert) of Sisters, Oregon; and Barbara Miller of The Villages, Florida, nine grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions be made to Ducks Unlimited or Salem Lutheran Church in Lake Mills, Iowa.