Duane R. Miller

Duane R. Miller, 81, a resident of Eldridge, Iowa passed away on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, at the Clarissa Cook Hospice House in Bettendorf, Iowa.

Services to celebrate his life will be held at 10:30 A.M. on Friday, May 10, 2024, at Faith Lutheran Church in Eldridge.  Graveside services will be held at Mt. Joy Cemetery in Park View, Iowa where military honors will be accorded.  Visitation will be from 4:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. on Thursday at the church.  In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Faith Lutheran Church, the Edward W. Knapper VFW Post 6174, MEDIC Ambulance or the Clarissa Cook Hospice House.  Chambers Funeral Home of Eldridge is assisting the family with arrangements.

Duane Rodney Miller was born on a cold and snowy Friday, February 19, 1943, in the Clinic Hospital in Tracy, Minnesota.  His parents were Erwin Herman Ernst Miller and Clara Ellen (Wipperman) Miller.  He was greeted by an older brother, Dale.

His father, Erwin owned and operated Miller Implement Company in Tracy and Duane spent many hours both playing and working there among the J. I. Case tractors and other farm machinery sold there.  Erwin was also a sign painter, which is where Duane picked up a sideline that he used as a source of additional income throughout his life.  His mother, Clara was both a housewife and employee at several businesses in Tracy.

Duane lived in Tracy with his parents until the summer of 1959 when the family moved to Marshall, Minnesota.  In Marshall, Duane was involved with the instrumental and vocal departments of Marshall High School.  He also participated in class plays and speech contests, when not working at the local Red Owl Grocery Store and other part time jobs.

After graduation in 1961, he attended Augustana College in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and Elkins Institute of Radio and Electronics in Dallas, Texas.  He worked as an engineer and announcer (and “Rock & Roll DJ”) at WFRL in Freeport, Illinois before joining the U.S. Navy in 1964.  After serving time off the coast of Vietnam, he was discharged in May of 1968 and married Lynda Van Liew on June 8, 1968, in San Diego.

Job hunting brought the couple to Red Oak, Iowa where Duane was once again an engineer and announcer, this time at KOAK.  He helped bring that new radio station online.  In 1969, he was hired by AT&T and began a career that lasted almost 31 years.  He was based in Red Oak, Ottumwa and Davenport, Iowa during that time.  In 1976, the family (now including children, Lester and Ellen) moved to Eldridge, Iowa where Duane retired from AT&T in 1999.

In Eldridge, Duane helped form the Edward W. Knapper VFW Post, was on the Eldridge Planning and Zoning Board for several years and was an active member of Faith Lutheran Church where he served on various committees plus the Church Council.  He was also the Scott County correspondent for Our Iowa Magazine for several years.

Duane was also a member of the Quad-Cities Antique Ford Club, the Studebaker Drivers Club, the Big 6 River Bend Chapter of the SDC and the Avanti Owners Association International.  For many years, he served as the Upper Mississippi Valley Zone Coordinator for the Studebaker Drivers Club.  He restored and owned several interesting automobiles in his lifetime.

Duane and Lynda enjoyed camping and traveling; having visited all 50 states and several foreign countries.

Retirement from AT&T did not slow him down and besides painting signs, Duane drove shuttle buses for River Bend Transit and tour buses for Tri-State Travel.  Duane also worked for several years in the produce department of North Scott Foods.

Those left to honor his memory include his wife, Lynda; his daughter, Ellen (Brent) Bloomingdale of Bettendorf; his son Les (Katrina) Miller of Longmont, Colorado; and his grandchildren, Craig Bloomingdale, Jhareth Miller and Sustoria Miller.

He was preceded in death by his brother, Dale Miller and by his parents.

Condolences may be expressed to the family by viewing his obituary at www.McGinnis-Chambers.com.