Shelby Miller

Shelby Miller, age 95, Sioux Falls, SD, died Sunday, January 12, 2020 at Dow Rummel Village, Sioux Falls, SD. Shelby Vard Miller was born on January 22, 1924, the son of Al A. and Thea (Stubsten) Miller. He grew up and attended school in Lennox, SD, graduating from Lennox High School, where he served as class president all four years. While in high school he worked as a waiter in a local restaurant. After high school he hitch hiked to Texas and joined the carnival, working the Bingo parlor for Art B. Thomas Shows and worked in drug store. After returning to Lennox he began work at the soda fountain of the family owned drug store. To demonstrate he had no fear of heights for his next employer, he climbed the Lennox water tower and was hired by a local merchant as a South Dakota iron worker, installing windmills. Having been initially rejected by the US military, due to his height (6'6"), he was admitted into the US Army in 1945, during WWII, and served in Korea until his honorable discharge in 1947. After his military service, he returned to South Dakota and began work in radio broadcasting at KIJV Radio in Huron, SD. It is here where he met fellow broadcaster and his future wife, Arvon Parker. The couple was married in Luverne, MN on October 1, 1949. They lived briefly in Huron returning to Lennox in 1950, where Shelby continued work in radio, sports casting at KSOO Radio and worked at the family drug store. In 1963 the couple moved to Tucson. AZ, where Shelby worked as a record producer, record engineer and realtor. In 1966 they relocated to Scottsdale, AZ, where Shelby owned a janitorial service for over 30 years. Wife, Arvon died on February 23, 1995. Shelby then met a new life partner, Lois Sherman Eisland. The couple lived in Arizona and returned to Sioux Falls where they had resided for the past fifteen years. Lois died in August of 2019. Shelby continued to live at Dow Rummel Village in Sioux Falls. Shelby was a member of First English Lutheran Church, Lennox. While in Lennox he was instrumental in the development of Lennox's first swimming pool. He had been a member of the local Masonic Lodge and enjoyed pheasant hunting. He was an avid sports fan, especially baseball and much of his sports broadcasting career involved basketball. Shelby was always very community minded and deeply loved his family. Besides his parents, wife, Arvon and life partner, Lois, Shelby was preceded in death by one grandson, Dean. Grateful for having shared his life are his son, Jon "Jan" Miller and his wife Judy, of Apache Junction, AZ; three granddaughters and eight great-grandchildren; one sister, Mariann Plucker, Chancellor, and his nieces, nephews and friends. Private burial in the Lennox Cemetery will precede services. Services will begin with a public luncheon Thursday, Jan. 16 from 12 noon to 1:30 p.m. at Dow Rummel, followed by a 1:30 p.m. memorial service also at the Dow Rummel chapel. In lieu of flowers memorials are requested to a favorite charity or Compassion in Action via the Avera McKennan Foundation PO Box 5895, Sioux Falls, SD 57117.

Shelby Miller

January 22, 1924 - January 12, 2020

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