Brenda J. Miller
June 27, 1942 - August 24, 2021

A funeral Mass for Brenda Miller, 79, of Whittemore will be held Monday at 10:30 AM at Divine Mercy Parish ~ St. Cecelia Catholic Church in Algona. The funeral Mass will be live streamed on Divine Mercy's YouTube Page: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xR75L2r2rU
Visitation will be from 4 to 7 PM Sunday in the Bishop Garrigan School Chapel. Please enter through the southwest doors of the chapel.

Brenda Joan (Thilges) Miller was born June 27th, 1942, to Oswald and Evelyn (Dole) Thilges in Algona. Brenda was the eldest of five children which included Maureen, Garry, Constance and Brian. She attended St. Cecelia Grade School in Algona and was part of the initial graduating class of what was then known as Algona Garrigan High School.

Brenda was one of the first recipients of the The Betty Crocker Search for the All-American Homemaker of Tomorrow Award. It was a one-of-a-kind scholarship program that ran from 1955 to 1977. When it began, organizers said the purpose of the program was "to focus national attention on the so-called 'forgotten career' of homemaking, and on the untiring job being done by America's high schools to develop citizens and homemakers of the future."

She met the eventual love-of-her-life, Dennis Gene Miller of West Bend after graduating. They married in 1962, and of this union came Jay, Keith, Kathy, and Joanie. They farmed west of West Bend until 1969, when they moved to an acreage north of Whittemore to continue farming, trucking, and a variety of other jobs.

Brenda wore many 'hats'...the greatest of being mom. She farmed with Dennis, drove combine during harvest, truck during "Pioneer" season, small town journalist for the Whittemore newspapers and bookkeeper for Dennis G. Miller Trucking. She was a statistician for her kids' little league teams, an avid Minnesota Twins fan and passionate reader, including Louis L'Amour, Nora Roberts, LaVyrle Spencer and most recently Cathy Lamb. Her favorite actor, like Dennis, was John Wayne. There is a corner of their home devoted to the Duke.

She enjoyed to great extent traveling west with her husband is the semi. They routinely ran loads to Oregon, Washington, Montana, Idaho, and California. On more than one occasion, grand kids were invited and thrilled to be along for the trip. They had many friends in the industry that ran the roads with them.

She always had time for conversation around the kitchen table with family and friends with a cup of coffee. Weather permitting, she was seen sitting outside on the patio, working her crossword puzzles or in a golf cart checking crops and her kingdom.

Brenda is survived by her children: Jay (Robin) Miller of Storm Lake, Keith (Judy) Miller of Sioux City, Kathy Cornwall (Mike) of Estherville, Joanie Leerar (Jason) of Algona. Siblings Maureen Baker (Chuck) of Spencer, Constance Entner of Mason City and Brian Thilges (Maureen) of Cleveland, MN; brother in-law, Butch Miller of Arnolds Park; sisters-in-law Joyce (Bart) Derrick of Reston, VA, JoElla (Ed) Miller, Algona and Peggy (Merle) Boomgarden, of Algona; her grandchildren, Tara Kosky (Andy) of Storm Lake, TJ Miller (Lexi) of Sioux Falls, SD; Ashley Reuter (Nick) of Des Moines, Courtney Dirks (AJ) of Grimes, Rachel Miller (Kiko Prada) of Switzerland, Spenser Miller (Haley Johnson) of Sioux City, Keaton Miller (Joanna Frazier) of Sioux City, Hayden Cornwall and Addy Cornwall of Estherville, and Jacob Leerar, Nick Leerar, Nathan Leerar and Christopher Leerar all of Algona. She is also survived by 11 great grandchildren in addition to many Thilges and Miller nieces and nephews.

She is preceded in death by her husband Dennis; her parents Oswald and Evelyn Thilges; in-laws Wayne and Hazel Miller; Garry Thilges (brother); Jackie Miller (in-law) Herb and Phyllis Miller (in-laws); Lannie and Charlene Miller (in-laws) Bud Miller (in-law), Rich Miller (in-law), a nephew Ryan Miller & niece Lisa Derrick.

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