Denny Miller

One year ago today, my father lost his battle with cancer. Nothing can really prepare a person for the loss of a parent. It has, without question, been the single worst experience of my life. There are times when I remember all the good things about my dad, and there are other times when the shadows of his illness, his final condition and the reason he’s gone, creep in. As with all forms of grief, there are many stages to work through.

Until this point, I had not published an official announcement of his death and I also chose not have a traditional funeral service at the time of his passing. This was partially due to my own unwillingness to publicly face my overwhelming grief and partially due to my father’s final wishes. You see, dad loved the heat, the sun and all things summer. On the other hand, he despised winter. Before he had gotten too ill, I promised him I would wait to lay him to rest until summer when we would have a family gathering in his honor. That was the plan, then COVID-19 changed everything.

In reality, due to COVID and all the changes it has brought, it seems like life has been on hold since dad left. Regardless, in this year without my dad, I have grown to appreciate his life even more. I was able to hear stories about him from old friends, sort through his keepsakes, look at loads of family pictures, and reflect on who my dad really was. It’s finally time for me to end my own selfishness, and share a bit of his life with you.

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Dennis Lee Miller was born Tuesday, Sept. 5, 1950, in Red Oak, Iowa, to Thelma Pearl Taylor and Wayne Hubert Miller. Only a few short years later, his brother, Curtis Lee Miller, was born. The boys enjoyed growing up on the family farm where they quickly learned about riding American quarter horses, raising Boston Terrier puppies, and how to help with work around the house.

Growing up, Denny and Curt were surrounded by cousins and friends throughout Southwest Iowa; bonds which lasted well into their adult years. Throughout his school years, Denny was considered a good student and was well liked by his peers. He was involved in sports, including track and football, and developed a love for running and being physically active that would endure the rest of his life. Despite moving from Red Oak to neighboring Shenandoah, Denny was considered a member of Red Oak’s 1969 graduating class.

After high school, Denny joined a union in Omaha, Nebraska, and went on to work construction for the majority of his life. He loved to reminisce about buildings he had worked on, like the renovation of the Iowa State Capital Building, laying new runways at Offutt Airforce Base, and being a member of the crew that built the Principal Tower in downtown Des Moines. From roads, to pipelines, to buildings and bridges, Denny was always proud of the work he did and the projects he was a part of.

It goes without saying he was also very handy around the home, completing multiple renovations on homes throughout his lifetime. He knew a little bit about every aspect of what it takes to build and maintain a house, and he had the tools to do it. If he didn’t, he always had a buddy who did.

Denny was an incredibly generous man, especially with his time. He worked with his daughter on more than one home renovation, helping her collect solid tools and teaching her everything from plumbing to carpentry to electrical. He was an exceptionally good painter, and loved the challenge of performing a perfect cut-in or filling trays with just the right amount of paint to complete the job. Denny was rarely afraid to try something new, and was the first volunteer for any project his daughter thought up, even making soap.

Denny loved nature and was known to frequently go for a run in his jeans and work boots, even on hot summer days. He was a firm believer that most ailments could be cured with diet, exercise and sweating and he took staying active seriously as he aged. Because of this, at nearly 70 years old, he was in incredible shape and still enjoyed running a few miles every day and doing hard, manual labor whenever he got the chance.

Another thing Denny enjoyed almost as much as staying active and working up a good sweat was working on motorcycles, old cars and guns. He was a man’s man who loved to buy, sell and trade. Denny had a knack for finding old things and giving them new life, which led to many antique restoration projects. He was also remarkably adept at knowing where to find obscure things. Looking for a vintage glass flute, in the box, for an old oil lamp? He could tell you about a handful of places to find one, and probably knew the owner of the shop by name.

Despite his almost timid nature, Denny enjoyed people and cared about his family and friends. He was diligent about sending Christmas cards each year and made it a point to call people on their birthdays. He was a sentimental man who secretly held onto knick knacks, greeting cards, pictures and trinkets he considered special, unique or meaningful.

Perhaps, above all else, he had a one-of-a-kind sense of humor and a way of twisting words to make silly catch phrases or nicknames for people. Denny was always good for a quick comeback, a loud whistle, a funky tune with a silly little jig to go along with it, or a play on words he found too good to pass up sharing. Truth be told, even his more inappropriate or embarrassing jokes were always pretty funny and many of them still get brought up, and laughed about, to this day.

On the morning of Dec. 30, 2019, Denny passed away from cancer and was cremated according to his wishes. He will be laid to rest in New Market Cemetery in his family’s plot this summer. The family is also making preparations to have a memorial bench placed on Denny’s favorite running trail at Green Valley State Park this coming Spring.

Denny was proceeded in death by his father Wayne Miller; mother Thelma Walker; brother Curtis Miller; and step-father Jack Walker; along with various aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents and friends. He is grieved by his daughter Chelcee Cheers; the mother of his daughter Teresa Cheers; sister-in-law Barb Miller; niece Alicia Callahan and family; nephew Dylan Miller and family; along with cousins, members of his church and lifelong friends.