Details

Collection Summary
Collection: FND001 - SHSND Foundation - North Dakota Heritage Family Memorial Program
Series: Tribute
Folder: DIG
Item: 271608
Title: Wesley O. Miller
Date: 6/26/1942-4/28/2025
Creator:
Inscription/Marks: 6/26/1942
Summary: Wesley Olaf Miller, 82, passed away on April 28, 2025, doing what he loved—planting trees. His funeral service was held May 6, 2025, at Evans Funeral Home, Carrington, ND. Born on June 26, 1942, Wes lived a full and meaningful life defined by his passion for hard work and love for conservation of the land. He married the love of his life, Patricia Engberg, on June 30, 1963. Their partnership spanned more than five decades until Patricia’s passing in 2016. Wes had a lifelong passion for both animals and nature. Over the years, he raised pheasants, turkeys, and peacocks, gradually expanding his interests to include exotic animals such as ostriches, emus, rheas, wallabies, and even a zebra. His enthusiasm and dedication to raising these unique animals and birds brought joy and fascination to those who visited his farm. Wes was a true friend of the land. His love for nature extended beyond the animals he raised to the trees and soil themselves. His greatest passion was for trees—he firmly believed there was no such thing as too many. Over the years, he planted tens of thousands on both his home property and his childhood homestead, affectionately known by family and friends as "The Farm." He also shared this passion through selling Christmas trees to local families for many years, and through his tree-moving business, which he operated for more than 40 years. In doing so, he helped others create their own meaningful ties to the land, leaving landscapes more beautiful and lives more connected. Wes will be remembered not only for his devotion to nature and the land, but also for his incredible desire to work hard. He worked from sunup to sundown his entire life, taking pride in every task, no matter how big or small. When he wasn’t working, he could be found ice fishing, deer hunting with his family, and tinkering in his shop. He was far from a perfectionist when it came to his shop projects—his goal was always functionality. This was evident in the many unconventional, yet brilliant contraptions and "work-arounds" that he came up with over the years. He is deeply missed and lovingly remembered by all who had the privilege of knowing him. Wes is survived by his sons, Mike of Carrington, ND, and Tim (Alyssa) of Valley City, ND, as well as six grandchildren: Kahlor, Casey, Tanner, Tyler, Taylor, and Ethan. He is also survived by siblings, Gladys Kautzman of West Fargo, James Miller of Bismarck, Dianne Marsh of St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin, and Joyce Miller of Richfield, MN, and Bournemouth, England. He is also survived by his very special friends, Harold Erickson, Joni Parks, Sam Partlow, and Brad Skytland. He was preceded in death by his wife, Patricia; daughter, Michelle; his siblings, Merlin Miller, Alice Campbell, Betty Wahl, Wayne Miller, and Shirley Kivley.
Red ID: FND_I_79105 Image ID: 525945 Image Notes: FND001 271608

Collection: FND001 Digitized Images from Collection
Title: SHSND Foundation - North Dakota Heritage Family Memorial Program
Date: -

Summary: The North Dakota Heritage Family Memorial Program is sponsored by the North Dakota Funeral Directors Association. The life stories of deceased North Dakotans are featured in an archvied collection. Current partners in the project are Eastgate Funeral & Cremation Services, Bismarck Evans Funeral Homes, Carrington and New Rockford Everson-Coughlin Funeral Home, Williston Fulkerson Funeral Home, Tioga Fulkerson Funeral Home, Watford City Fulkerson Stevenson Funeral Home, Williston Nero Funeral Home, Bottineau Parkway Funeral Service, Bismarck Springan Stevenson Funeral Home, Stanley Stevenson Funeral Home, Dickinson These funeral homes provide recent obituaries to the Foundation, where staff and volunteers format, edit and archive each memorial. The memorials are posted, and copies are sent to the family for their input and approval. The listing currently features more than 13,000 memorials, and is constantly updated as new memorials and histories are received.

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