Fern Miller, age 96, of De Smet, and formerly of rural Huron, SD, died Thursday, January 1, 2009, at the Good Samaritan Society in De Smet.

Her funeral service will be at 1:00 p.m. Monday, January 5, at Welter Funeral Home with burial at Restlawn Memory Gardens Cemetery.

Visitation will be Sunday from 1-8 p.m. or Monday afternoon one hour prior to the service at the funeral home.

Fern Miller was born Fern May on December 28, 1912, to James and Edna (Fenn) May in Huron, SD. She grew up on a farm north of Huron and graduated from Huron High school in 1930.

Following her formal education she moved to Huron and worked as a secretary for the Huron High School. She then began working as a secretary for the Bill Wolner Insurance Company (which later became the Jim Long Insurance Company).

In 1944, Fern married Raymond Schmechel in Redwood Falls, MN. Fern continued to work for the insurance company until her retirement in the late 1970's.

On February 11, 1968, Fern married Paul Miller in Des Moines, IA. They made their home on the Miller farmstead in rural Alpena. Fern moved to the Good Samaritan Society in De Smet in September of 2005, where she was residing at the time of her death.

She was a member of United Congregational Church of Christ, and the Ceramic Association. Her many interests included fishing, crocheting, knitting, making ceramic crafts and porcelain dolls, collecting bears and dolls, traveling, gardening and canning.

She is survived by 1 daughter, Penny Fisher of Huron; 2 step-daughters, Paulette (Tom) Updike of Riverton, WY, and Kathy (Jim) Huff of Westminster, CO; several grandchildren and great grandchildren; and 1 sister, Evelyn May of Huron.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Paul on January 8, 1999; and an infant daughter.