Bill L. Miller age 79 of rural Garvin passed away peacefully Saturday, September 6, 2014 at his home after a courageous battle with cancer. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11:00 am Friday at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Tracy. Visitation is 5:00 – 8:00 pm Thursday at the Tracy Area Funeral Home with a prayer service at 7:30 pm. Visitation will continue one hour prior to services at the church on Friday. Interment is in Bethel Cemetery near Garvin. Online condolences may be sent at www.stephensfuneralservice.com. Stephens Funeral Service – Tracy Area Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.

William “Bill” L. Miller was born May 21, 1935, to Ralph and Amy Miller of Blue Earth, MN. Bill was raised on a farm near Blue Earth where he began a lifelong love of westerns, horses, and airplanes. He took instruction to fly and earned his pilot’s license in his teens. He also joined the Army National Reserve. In his early 20’s he headed west to Keldron, SD, where he worked as a ranch hand on the Sutton Bros. cattle ranch on the Grand River for several years. He met his wife Bonnie in South Dakota. They married in November 1964 and moved to Tracy, MN where Bill worked for the MN Valley Breeders Assn. Bill assisted his dad with his farm operation after his parents moved to Balaton. He especially enjoyed running farm implements at harvest time. Bill owned several small aircraft and enjoyed recreational flying. He started a local business instructing students, as well as providing charter flights and ag aerial spraying in 1968. He flew many hours over countless acres of crops and pastures until 1996, when injuries sustained in an aircraft accident rendered him unable to continue the business. He loved horses and built his own small herd on their Tracy acreage. Bill had a love of the outdoors and enjoyed hunting and 4-wheeling, especially in western South Dakota.

Those whose lives he touched will remember Bill for his welcoming smile and good conversation. Bill is survived by his wife Bonnie and their children: Marty (Dana Tennison) Miller of Minneapolis, Pam Illg of St. Joseph, and Justin Miller of St. Paul; son-in-law Rick Illg of St. Joseph; grandchildren Bailey and Cade Illg; sister Barbara Schibble of Delevan; and brother Ronald “Skip” Miller of Bowling Green, KY. Bill is preceded in death by his parents Ralph and Amy Miller and his sister Marilyn Krosch.

A special thank you to all the hospice staff and friends who helped out and visited during Bill’s illness. Your support and friendship was valuable during a difficult time.