A memorial service for Rev. Ray Miller, age 88, of Spirit Lake, will be held at 11 am on Friday, December 13, 2024, at First Presbyterian Church in Spirit Lake.
There will be a visitation at Turner Jenness Funeral Home on Thursday, December 12, 2024, beginning at 5:00pm, with the family present from 5:00 – 7:00pm, and from 10 am until service time at the church on Friday.
Ray passed away at his home in Spirit Lake on Saturday, December 7, 2024.
Ray J Miller was born May 6, 1936, in Colorado Springs, CO, to Glen Ben and Myrtle Blake Miller. He graduated from Colorado Springs High School in 1954 and from Midland Lutheran University in Fremont, NE, in 1959. He continued on to Central Seminary in Fremont, graduating in 1963 with a Master of Divinity degree. Several years later, he studied at The Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago (LSTC) and received the Doctor of Divinity degree.
Ray was married in 1960 to Marilyn June Musbach in Fremont, NE.
He served parishes in Langruth, Manitoba, Canada; Regina, Saskatchewan; Homer, Nebraska; Fontanelle, Iowa; and Sioux Rapids, Iowa. He also served the Little Sioux parish near Milford, Iowa. He enjoyed a close relationship with many people from these parishes, even up to the present.
Ray is survived by his wife, Marilyn; four children, Cherie Haas of Owatonna, MN; Laurel Otto of Redwood Falls, MN; Dean Miller of Spirit Lake IA, and Nathan Miller of Redwood Falls, MN; eight grandchildren, Brandon Otto (& Ashley) of Fort Collins, CO; Kelsey Kopelke (& Steven) of Loveland, CO; Talia Otto of Loveland, CO; Cierra Haas, Jordan Haas & Emily Haas of Owatonna MN; Charli Schmidt (& Dillon) of Boone IA; Alix Miller of Spirit Lake IA; and great-grandchildren, Finnley Kopelke (age 3), Emmett Kopelke (2 months), Hazel Otto (age 3), and one due in January, all in Colorado.
Since retirement, Ray and Marilyn became members of First Presbyterian Church in Spirit Lake. Ray has been active as an elder as well as singing in the church choir. He was on the Board of Directors for Kinship. He enjoyed Many Voices Choir, a regional chorus, Ukulele Strummers, and Trailriders for the Sherriff’s Department. He enjoyed swimming competitions and received medals in South Dakota, Nebraska and Iowa.
Ray was preceded in death by his parents Glen Ben & Myrtle Miller; one sister, Glenna Anderson, and brothers, Jerry Miller and DeWitt Miller.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Oaxaca Youth Empowerment https://www.oaxacayouthempowerment.org/, First Presbyterian Church of Spirit Lake, or the charity of your choice.
Ray constantly prayed for peace in the world and among people and spent his life serving God through relationships with people in many places. He is now enjoying perfect peace with his Savior in Heaven.
Turner Jenness Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
