John William (Bill) Miller, 80, formerly of Custer, SD and Alliance, NE, passed away November 8, 2024 at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hurst-Euless-Bedford Hospital in Bedford, TX.
John was born April 5, 1944, in Hot Springs, SD at the Sister’s Hospital to John Francis (Jack) Miller and Esther Pauline (Gleeck) Miller. He lived in Edgemont, SD for the first six years of his life. The family then moved to Niobrara County, WY, where John attended a Fairview Rural School graduating from the eighth grade. Upon graduating at Fairview School, John went to Edgemont High School graduating in 1962.
Having decided in seventh grade to be an educator, John enrolled at Sheridan College (now Northeast Community College) to get an Associate of Arts degree in Elementary Education. He furthered his education at Chadron State College receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in education in 1966. Attending Chadron State College summer classes, he earned a Master of Science degree. John was admitted to Phi Delta Kappa where he served as the treasurer and president of the Chadron State College based Phi Delta Kappa. He was awarded a Membership Recognition Certificate in 2001 for his 25-year service.
John W. Miller was a dedicated and committed educator. His education career spanned 52 years. His elementary teaching was in 4th, 5th and 6th grades for forty years. At the same time, he was head teacher and director for summer Migrant Education in Alliance for 40 summers. In addition to these two positions, he served on the Nebraska State Education Association’s Political Action Committee for twenty -six years which entailed interviewing senators on educational issues as they ran for the Nebraska Unicameral. He served as president of the Nebraska State Education Association’s Panhandle District comprised of the Western Nebraska twenty-one county area several times to assist with improving teaching strategies and working conditions for educators.
In 1993, he was appointed by the Governor of Nebraska to serve on the Quasi-Court of the Nebraska Professional Practices Commission. This meant taking “Administrative Law” classes with the National Judicial College. The commission involved twelve educators and a judge to determine reprimands, suspension and teach certification revocations for violating the ‘Code of Ethics of the Teaching Profession.” John served on this commission for six years (1993-1999).
Following retirement from elementary classrooms, he went to teaching ESL, ABE and GED classes for the Adult Education Program in Alliance in conjunction with the Nebraska Department of Education. While teaching GED, he was promoted to Lead Teacher and Director by the Nebraska Department of Education. This was to be a temporary assignment; instead, it turned into twelve more years of additional educational service. As he served as the Lead Teacher and Director of the Adult Education Program, his adult students exceeded Nebraska’s Adult Education Performance Standards on three different years. Those being: 2009, 2010 and 2015.
When the Nebraska Unicameral passed a law that all rural schools had to have a principal on their staff, he served as principal for two rural schools, those at Antioch, NE and District # 44 Box Butte County rural school. He served as the part-time principals for those two school districts until the country schools in Nebraska were closed and all students were transported to the city schools.
Mr. Miller served as a student teaching supervising teacher for Chadron State College for over thirty years. This status only garnered being a Master Teacher in the community of Alliance, NE. He also worked as a part-time expert in analyzing test questions for Wonderlic Testing Corporation when writing a new national test called GAIN during 2005-2006.
John has passionate hobbies. He was a vintage car enthusiast from the time he was five years old. He was a member of the 385 Cruisers Car Club showing his 1976 Pontiac Grand Prix many times. He was an artist in his own right and created the Mini Needles Art Studio at Custer, SD in his grandfather George Gleeck’s cabin and sold art as the chances would arise. He collected art from other artists. He was a collector of antiques and special bone plates. He imparted art to many students throughout his educational career and promoted hobbies in the students in every classroom he taught. He was a mineralogist and collected minerals and stones. Many fifth-grade students from his science teaching are to this day avid rockhounds. He became a self-taught accordionist during the years that his Aunt Sue had sent him her accordion. Dancing was a featured hobby managing the American Legion Couples Dance Club for twelve years and forming it again at the Eagles Club in Alliance in 2019.
Preceding John in death were his parents and numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins.
John’s survivors are Ronald (Dianne) Miller; Caroline (Glenn) Zerbst; Thomas Miller; Robert (Linda) Miller; Nancy (Larry) Renz; Debbra (Brad) Vlotho; special cousins; Mary Kay Jansante; Juanita (Mike) Wright; Greg (Deb) Borton; Tony; Kevin and Jake Borton, numerous nieces and nephews along with many Mader relatives and cousins.
Christian Funeral Vigil will be held 7:00 p.m., Thursday, November 21, 2024 at St. James Catholic Church in Edgemont, SD, with Christian Funeral Mass held at 10:00 a.m., Friday, November 22, 2024. Christian Funeral Committal will follow at Edgemont Cemetery in Edgemont, SD.
Arrangements have been placed in the care of Chamberlain McColley’s Funeral Home in Hot Springs, SD.