11/24/50-4/18/22
Roger Frederick Miller was born on November 24, 1950 at Cottage Hospital in Galesburg, Illinois to Robert Karl and Suzanne Miller. As an infant, he and his family moved to Des Moines, IA. When he was young, his father went into the ministry and the family moved to Stanhope, Iowa, then to Estherville, Iowa. Roger graduated from Estherville High School in 1969.
Roger went to Drake University and majored in Religion. He attended Lexington Theological Seminary in Kentucky, graduating with a Master of Divinity degree. During his educational years, he was a youth minister at Capitol Hill and Glen Echo Christian Churches in Des Moines. He was a student pastor in New Liberty, Kentucky.
He was a social justice advocate. He was an organizer for Crop Walk, a local and global hunger event. He was a co-founder of the Muscatine Area AIDS Coalition in 1991. He was active in youth church camps for many, many years. During his retirement he was a poll worker in local, state and national elections. He supported racial, gender and economic justice. He also supported humor in church which was the topic of his master thesis research.
Roger served as pastor for churches in Falls City, Nebraska; Jefferson and Muscatine, Iowa, and then served as Regional Minister in Western Kentucky before retirement.
After retirement, Roger and Evie moved back to Des Moines and were active in several churches in the Des Moines area. They settled into Norwalk Christian Church where he enjoyed participating in church in the company of his children and grandchildren.
Roger is survived by his wife, Evie (Caskey); daughter Sarah (Miller) Schuller (Jeremy); son, Seth R. Miller; grandchildren Hannah and Matthew Jameson; sister Karla Miller (Jean Bott), sister-in-law Suzanne (Paul) Turner, and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his father, Robert Karl Miller, mother, Suzanne Allen, maternal grandparents Fred Bulmer and Cecile Alters, and Karl and Bea Miller, and brother-in-law David Caskey.
He loved writing and he authored several books and articles, and was always working on the next. He had a passion for photography. He was a lifelong musician who loved singing with his wife Evie and other family members. He loved to perform center-stage and enlist friends and family to join in. Roger fancied himself a comedian known for being a teller of bad jokes, a voracious reader, and a regaler of stories. He loved traveling, camping, and hiking with his family.
The week prior to his death, he saw many friends, laughed with family and enjoyed doing his favorite things. The day before he passed away, dressed in his finest, he went to church and said the choir was “GREAT!” and “AMAZING!” He remarked that the sermon was the “BEST HE EVER HEARD!” High praise and appreciation!
According to his wishes, Roger was cremated. A visitation will be held at Norwalk Christian Church (701 Main Street, Norwalk, Iowa 50211) on Friday, April 29th from 1:00-3:00 pm with a Celebration of Life to follow. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in his name to Norwalk Christian Church or the Christian Conference Center, 5064 Lincoln Street, Newton, Iowa 50208.