John Alfred Miller, 86, of Altoona, Wisconsin, passed away on October 23, 2022 at Meadowbrook Nursing Home in Bloomer, Wisconsin after a battle with Parkinson’s disease, suffering a concussion due to a fall, and finally succumbing to the effects of COVID-19. 

John was born March 28, 1936 on his grandparents’ farm in rural Ida County, Iowa.  He was the eldest of four children born to Leo C. Miller and Irene K. Dinges.  He attended country school until moving into Odebolt, Iowa and graduated from high school in 1954.

He enlisted in the U.S. Army and served as a sergeant in Korea.  After returning home, he met Judith Shepherd in Odebolt, Iowa and they were married on January 27, 1962 at St. Martin’s Catholic Church.  Two children were born to this union:  David and Lesley.  John and Judy farmed near Arthur, Iowa until 1970 when they moved to a farm south of Cushing, Iowa.  There they farrowed thousands of hogs and John especially enjoyed working with the little pigs.  Stewardship of the land was important to John.  He won numerous conservation awards over his career.  He also served as a Battle township trustee, on the Ida County conservation board, and on the FHA board.  John retired from farming in 2001. 

John enjoyed the outdoors; trapping, hunting, and fishing.  In addition, he spent many hours creating crafts from old fence posts and telephone poles.  He also loved to bake and garden.  But family was most important to John.  He was very proud of his children and grandchildren.  In 2008, John and Judy moved to Pocatello, Idaho.  John loved the climate there.  He enjoyed watching his granddaughters’ soccer games and loved traveling to the Iowa grandchildren’s activities.  In 2013, John and Judy relocated to Springfield, Missouri, then to Altoona, Wisconsin in 2015 so John could hunt and fish with David.

In addition to his parents, John was preceded in death by his sister LaDonna Costley in 1973 and a brother, Robert, in 2003. 

John is survived by his wife of sixty years, Judy; a son David (Pam) Miller of Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin; a daughter, Lesley (Robert) Hanson of Ankeny, Iowa;  grandchildren Dr. Ashley Miller of Los Angeles, California; Michael Hanson of Grimes, Iowa; Jennifer (Carter) Klosterboer of Mesa, Arizona; and Mallory Hanson of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  In addition, he is survived by step-grandchildren Lorraine (James) Founds of San Pedro, California, Christina Mottishaw of Star, Idaho, Whitney (Herminio) De La Rosa of Woodbury, Minnesota; two great-grandchildren, Xavier and Amelia; a brother James (Clara) Miller of Waubay, South Dakota; a sister-in-law LaDonna Miller of Oldebolt, Iowa; a maternal aunt Marge Hauschildt of Ida Grove, Iowa; and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Grave side services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, November 25, 2022 at Maple Park Cemetery 300 W Grand St, Springfield, MO 65807