Jacob “Jake” Miller, age 84 of Belle Fourche, died Sunday, September 22, 2024, surrounded by his loving family.
Mass of Chrisitan Burial will take place 10:30am Thursday, September 26, 2024 at the St. Therese the Little Flower Catholic Church in Rapid City. There will be no visitation. Interment will take place in Black Hills National Cemetery, with military honors provided by the Belle Fourche Veterans Honor Guard.
Arrangements are with Leverington Funeral Home of the Northern Hills in Belle Fourche. Friends may leave written condolences and view a video tribute online at: www.LeveringtonFH.com
Jacob (Jake) Leo Miller was born September 8, 1940 to Jacob and Margaret (Joachim) Miller in Adams County, North Dakota. He was raised on a farm northwest of Lemmon. He attended North Lemmon Grade School for seven years and St. Mary’s Grade School for one year. Jake graduated from Lemmon High School in 1958.
From 1959 to 1962 Jake worked on highway construction operating heavy equipment. Most of that time was spent building I-94 from the Minnesota line to Montana. In 1963 he was drafted by the United States Army for the Vietnam war where he was stationed in Frankfurt, Germany. He was honorably discharged in March 1965.
Following his discharge from the Army, he returned to the Lemmon area where he continued operating heavy equipment. His brother, Johnny, took Jake to the Coast to Coast store, where Johnny hoped they would run into a certain young clerk working there. His match making worked and there Jake met the love of his life, Rosemary (Almen). Jake and Rosemary were married in 1965 in Lemmon.
Their first son, Jason, was born in 1968. In 1969 Jake and Rosemary began farming north of Lemmon and their second son, Jared, was born. They moved to south of Morristown in 1972 where they farmed and ranched side by side for 36 years. Their daughter, Tanya, was born in 1975 and rounded out their family.
In 2008 Jake and Rosemary retired to an acreage outside of Belle Fourche. There, Jake took great pride in maintaining a beautiful yard and place. In 2023 they moved to Rapid City where they resided until his death.
Jake was a member of the American Legion in Lemmon for 51 years, enjoyed playing cards with his friends, attending cattle sales, tending to his own cattle herd and farm crops, mentoring his children on farm and ranch life, spending time with his dogs, and practicing his faith.
Grateful to have shared his life and his love were his wife of almost 59 years, Rosemary; children Jason (Sherri) Miller of Pierre, Jared (Edwynna) Miller of San Antonio, TX, and Tanya (Ty) White of Rapid City; six grandchildren, Hayden (Tara) Miller, Bobbi (Adam) Cantu, Rylie (Marco) Van Rooyen, Jacob (Alexis) Miller, Peyton White and Colt White; and great grandchildren, Gracelynn, Mason, Levi, Wesley, (and soon to arrive baby Olivia).
He was preceded in death by his mother and father; six siblings, Eugene (Ike), Teddy, Alice, Johnny, Matt, and Victor; sisters in law Phyllis, Deloris, Florence, and brother in law Charles Foss; nieces and nephews Joey Miller, Bruce Miller, Linda Baker, Karen Kudlock, Jimmy Foss, and John BeSerra.
