Perry J. Miller

Perry J. Miller of Chewelah, Washington died Monday, June 20, 2011 at St. Joseph Hospital in Chewelah. He was 90 years old.

Perry was born February 8, 1921 at Brookfield, Illinois to Perry D. Miller and Barbara L. (Eminger) Miller. He attended high school at Ripley, OK and college at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, OK. He married Helen J. Miller on November 23rd, 1941 in Stillwater, OK. From 1941 to 1943, Perry worked at Boeing in Renton, WA and farmed at Arden, WA from 1943 to 1946. Perry started Colville Trucking in 1947 with Les Buckley. In 1958, he started the original Colville Livestock Auction and worked as the owner/manager until 1961. Perry farmed and ranched at Moses Lake, WA from 1962 to 1973. He then moved to Oklahoma where he owned and operated an oil field business in Oklahoma and Arkansas. After his retirement in 1973, Perry lived in Mesa, AZ, Waitts Lake, WA, Canton, OK, Lewiston, ID and Chewelah, WA.

He attended church at the Congregational Church in Colville and was a Charter Member of the Eagles Lodge in Colville. Perry was an Honorary Chapter Farmer with the Colville FFA and he helped organize the original Steven County Sheriff's Horse Posse as well as the original Colville Saddle Cinchers Riding Club.

Perry is survived by his wife Helen (Christensen) Miller of Chewelah, WA; son David Miller and his wife Donna of Moses Lake, WA; daughter Donna (Miller) Kerst and her husband Jim of Valley, WA; grandchildren Connie M. Hedrick of Lewiston, ID, Dennis E. Hedrick of Midland, VA, Pamela M. (Hedrick) Welle of Lewiston, ID, Krista D. (Miller) Jones of Moses Lake, WA, Julie D. (Miller) Garibay of Moses Lake, WA, and Stacy L. (Miller) Orozco of Moses Lake, WA; great-grandchildren Jord'Enn, David Mende, Rylee Garibay, Brynlyn King, Haylee Orozco, and Kaylyn Orozco of Moses Lake, WA, Clark Hedrick of Fairfax, VA, Chardee' Timis of Kalispell, MT, and Amanda and Courtney Welle of Lewiston, ID. He was preceded in death by his parents, brother Clarence, sister Theora, and his children Diane, Debby, Danny and Wayne Miller.

Services will be held at a later date.