In loving memory of
Ward William Miller
July 26, 1930 - October 27, 2019
Ward William Miller, 89, of Sheffield, passed away Sunday, October 27, 2019, at the Rehabilitation Center of Hampton. He was born on July 26, 1930, in the Westfork area of Franklin County to William John and Dessie Pearl (Warden) Miller.
Ward attended country schools in Westfork and Hampton until eighth grade. He lived in Hampton and Des Moines before settling in Sheffield where he started working at the Sheffield Brick and Tile at age 14 as a result of being forced to leave his home because of an abusive stepfather. Ward lived with an aunt and uncle for two years before renting a room in a boarding house in Sheffield. He married Wanda Mae Bobst Kew on December 10, 1950, in Des Moines, Iowa. Ward was baptized in the Methodist Church in Hampton in 1951, before serving in the Army during the Korean War. He spent one year in Colorado and one year in Korea. A daughter, Shannon, was born on November 26, 1951, on the Army base in Colorado Springs followed by a son, Mitch, born on June 11, 1957, in Hampton, Iowa. In 1962, Ward was classified as 100% disabled due to his colitis as a result of time spent in Korea.
After the Army, Ward returned to work at the Sheffield Brick and Tile, where he worked for 44 years until the plant closed. Then he was employed at Mercy Hospital until he retired in 1992. Ward and his family enjoyed spending time boating and swimming in Clear Lake where they eventually purchased a cottage. Ward enjoyed collecting and working on automobiles. At one time, he owned 13 vehicles. His favorite was a red 1966 Thunderbird. Ward and Wanda celebrated their 50th anniversary in 2000 aboard The Love Boat on a cruise through the Panama Canal. After retiring, Ward and Wanda enjoyed traveling to many different countries, went on numerous cruises, and spent several winters vacationing in Arizona and Nevada. He was a member and past president of the Employees Benefit Club. He was a past president of the Sheffield VFW Post and is currently a lifetime member of the Hampton VFW. He also belonged to the Jubilee Club of North Iowa, The Heritage Seniors Club, and the Royal Bank Club.
Ward was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in April of 2016 and then when he and Wanda were no longer able to care for him in the home, they moved to a care facility in Hampton. In November of 2017, Wanda moved to assisted living in Leahy Grove and Ward to the Rehabilitation Center within the same facility.
Ward is survived by his wife, Wanda Mae Miller, of Hampton, Iowa, a daughter, Shannon Jo Bliss, and her husband, William, of Urbandale, Iowa, and a son, Mitch Edward Miller, and his partner, Michelle Roose, of Sheffield, Iowa, and her daughters Justine Kruse and husband, Tyler, of Wheat Ridge, Colorado, and Megan Roose of Ankeny, Iowa, 2 grandsons, Jordan Krueger, and wife, Allison, of Bondurant, Iowa, and Jeremy Krueger, and his partner, Meredith Davis, of Des Moines, Iowa, great grandsons, Kamden Krueger, Calvin Waggoner, and Braeden Thompson, great granddaughter, Kenley Krueger, two sisters, Bessie Nutter of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and Alice Massey and husband, Robert, of Des Moines, Iowa, and several nieces and nephews. Ward was proceeded in death by his parents and three brothers, Roy and Russell Miller, Eugene King, and one sister, Louise Crandall.
Memorials may be directed to Wanda Miller, 800 2nd Street SE Apt #5, Hampton, Iowa 50441.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, November 2, 2019, at Faith Baptist Church in Hampton. Visitation will be held from 5:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m., Friday, November 1, 2019, at the Sietsema Vogel Funeral Home in Hampton. Burial will take place in the Hillside Cemetery in Sheffield.