Elmer A. Miller, 88, of Cuba City, WI, formerly of Sherrill, IA, passed away on Thursday, May 29, 2025 at Stonehill Care Center in Dubuque, IA. A memorial service with military honors accorded will be held 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 28th at the Haudenshield Funeral Home & Crematory in Cuba City, WI. Family & friends may call from 1:00 p.m.  until the time of service on Saturday at the funeral home. A private family burial will be held at a later date. The Haudenshield Funeral Home & Crematory in Cuba City, WI is serving the family.

Elmer was born and raised on his parents' farm near Sherrill. He attended Riverside Grade School and later graduated from Dubuque Senior High School in 1954.

In addition to his farming, he worked at State Brand Creamery in Dubuque, IA, and served 8 years in the Iowa National Guard. He started farming on his own in Sageville, IA, in 1959. He married Patricia Fay on September 23, 1961, at Sherrill United Methodist Church in Sherrill, IA. After many years of battling floods from the Bloody Run creek, Pat and Elmer made the decision to seek higher ground, moving to rural Cuba City, WI, in 1974, where they established a dairy, beef, and hog farm. They viewed twenty-six farms before choosing the Cuba City farm to call home.

Elmer was a hard-working farmer who dedicated the majority of his time to his work. In partnership with his wife, Pat, he developed a successful agricultural operation. His son, Jack, worked side by side with him daily. Elmer's nephews and local youth who took turns working on the farm, learned quickly to stack small square hay bales so that each load survived the bumps, hills, and miles of road travel back to the farm.

Travel was rare, but on occasion, Elmer would take a break from the farm to enjoy fishing excursions in Minnesota with his Sageville, IA neighbor, Marv Papenfuss. His other travels included a trip to Seattle, Washington, his brother's home in Springfield, Missouri, and several visits to his daughter's home in Georgia. He particularly enjoyed the experience of riding mules to the bottom of the Grand Canyon with his daughter, Kris.

His grandsons were blessed to grow up on the farm near Grandpa and Grandma Miller. Their memories include many laughs, a lot of sweat, and many history lessons shared. They were taught the importance of a strong work ethic as they helped with farm tasks alongside their Grandpa Miller.

Elmer inspired a love of history in his grandson, Alex, and they often read and exchanged books and had great conversations about historical topics.

In general, Elmer was not a sports fan and did not enjoy sitting on bleachers. In spite of this, he attended his very first basketball game to cheer on his grandson, Andy, as he played for the Cuba City Cubans. He also enjoyed listening to Andy's games on the radio from the comfort of his favorite recliner.

Elmer enjoyed spending time with his extended family. He loved visiting with his Hammerand cousins and looked forward to each Miller Time reunion. His witty (and sometimes barnyard) sense of humor kept everyone smiling (or rolling their eyes). He will be sadly missed by all who knew and loved him.

He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Patricia (Fay) Miller; his son, John (Kathy) Miller of Cuba City, WI; and his daughter, Kristine (Derek) Thomas of The Rock, Georgia. He is also survived by his brother, Marvin (Eileen) Miller of Sherrill, IA; his sister, Twila Griffith of Dubuque, IA; and his grandchildren, Alex Miller and Andy Miller of Cuba City, WI. He is further survived by his in-laws, John (Carol) Fay of Dubuque, IA, and Marilyn (Jerry) Frederick of Durango, IA; his goddaughter, Melissa Nemmers of Peosta, IA; and many nieces and nephews.

Elmer was preceded in death by his parents, Benjamin and Esther (Hammerand) Miller; his father-in-law, John Howard Fay (Florence); his brother and sister-in-law, Reverend Melvin and Ruth Miller; his brother-in-law, Daryl Griffith; his niece, Carolyn (Miller) Schultz; and his nephew, Larry Miller.

The Miller family would like to thank Unity Point Health of Dubuque, IA, Stonehill Communities, and Hospice of Dubuque for their compassionate care of Elmer.

Memorials may be mailed to:

Haudenshield Funeral Home
c/o: Elmer Miller Family
P.O. BOX 825
Cuba City, WI 53807