Samantha Jean Miller

Hawarden, IA: Samantha Jean Miller, 41, of Hawarden, Iowa, lost her courageous battle with cancer on August 21, 2019 at Hawarden Regional Healthcare. Mass of Christian Burial will be held Monday, August 26, at 10:30 AM at St. Mary’s Catholic Church of Hawarden with Father Roger Linnan and Father Paul Bormann concelebrating the mass. Following a luncheon, burial will be held at Pleasant Hill Cemetery in Alcester, South Dakota. Visitation, with the family present, will be held Sunday, August 25, from 3:00-5:00 PM at St. Mary’s Catholic Church. A prayer service, with Deacon Richard Port officiating, will follow the visitation at 5:00 PM at the church. Porter Funeral Home of Hawarden is assisting the family with arrangements.

   Samantha Jean Miller grew up in Hudson, South Dakota and attended Alcester-Hudson High School. After high school, Samantha went to Mitchell Technical Institute and graduated with an associate degree. She worked in the medical field for many years until she found her passion driving truck and being her own boss at Miller’s Express.

   On September 9, 2000, Samantha married Loren Miller. The couple lived in Mitchell, South Dakota, Ortonville, Minnesota, and Hawarden, Iowa. Samantha and Loren shared three amazing children; Ariyanna, Layne, and Wyatt.

   More than anything, Samantha enjoyed spending time with family and friends. She was always up for any type of shenanigans and was the first person there to help if you needed it. In keeping with Samantha’s loving and generous spirit, it was her decision to be a tissue donor so that other lives may be enriched. Her donation will impact over 200 people.

   Samantha is survived by her husband, Loren; two sons, Layne and Wyatt Miller; brother, Lee (Casey) Westphal; two sisters, Amanda (Ben) Van Wyhe and Casey (Corey) Kroger; step-father, Michael “Goober” VandeMore; father and mother-in-law, Dean and Dorothy Miller; two sisters-in-law, Maxine Johnson and Jolene Miller; and many nieces and nephews.

   She was preceded in death by her daughter, Ariyanna Miller; mother, Carlotta VandeMore; and brother-in-law, David Johnson.