Blanche M. Miller Lemmon, SD

Funeral services for Blanche M. Miller, age 97, of Fountain Valley, CA; formerly of Lemmon, SD will be 10:30am Thursday, January 6, at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Lemmon. Fr Brian Fawcett will officiate with burial in Greenhill Cemetery. A rosary service will be held at 10:00am on Thursday at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Lemmon. Special music will be provided by Susan Gunn ,organist and Gillian Damjanovich, soloist. Serving as casketbearers are Don Becht, Eugene Svihovec, Pat and Pete Froelich, David Miller, Jesse Cooper, Kenny Tomac, and Willard Ottman.

BLANCHE M. BERTRAND was born in Darlington Township near Clark, SD on November 6, 1907. She was the first child born to Lexior Alphons and Myrtle Mary (Mack) Bertrand. Blanche attended school from first grade thru high school in Clark. She attended and graduated from teachers college in Madison, SD. When Blanche was a toddler, her parents decided to homestead in northwestern South Dakota. They left Clark in a covered wagon and went to Maltbe, which was south of Prairie City. Her father had a freight business from Maltbe to Stroul, Prairie City to Hettinger and then back to Maltbe. After having lived on the homestead for over a year, Myrtle returned with her children to Clark. Lexy stayed on the homestead the required time to own. After graduation from college, Blanche taught eight grades in a one room school for several years. She met Larry Miller, who had come to visit his uncle who's farm was across the road from the Bertrand farm. Larry was truly smitten with Blanche. However, she wanted to teach and wasn't sure she wanted to get married. Larry was a lineman for Ma Bell and was traveling across Iowa, Nebraska, and the Dakotas installing new phone lines. They corresponded weekly by mail for almost two years, and she finally agreed to marry him. They were married on August 7, 1934 in Clark, SD. Their first son, Joe, was born in September 1935 in Clark. Their second son, Terry, was born in August 1939 in Webster City, IA. Larry grew tired of working outdoors in all kinds of winter weather. They decided to move to southern California in 1946 where they settled in Carlsbad. Larry continued to work for the phone company and Blanche did substitute teaching. Larry retired in 1966 and after two years Blanche and Larry moved to Lemmon, SD. Blanche enjoyed crocheting, church activities, reading and being with family. Blanche and Larry were active snowbirds and liked traveling to warmer climates during the winter months. They also enjoyed many years of marriage, having been together for over 63 years and many of those as a retired couple. Larry passed away on February 24, 1998 and Blanche continued to live in Lemmon until October 2002, when she moved to California to be close to family. She passed from this life on Sunday morning, December 26, at a hospital in Westminster, CA at the age of 97 years, 1 month, and 20 days.

Surviving family members include her 2 sons and 1 daughter-in-law, Terry and Diane Miller, Fountain Valley, CA; Joe Miller, Grand Junction, CO; 5 grandchildren, Catherine Biddle, David Miller, Victoria Tuman, Margaret Keesling, Teresa McClay; 8 great grandchildren, Daniel Biddle, Jayson Tuman, Brendyn Tuman, Jordyn Tuman, Jessica Yanish, Stephen Keesling, Tori Keesling, Isaiah McClay; 2 brothers and sisters-in-law, Flavis and Eleanor Bertrand, Newell, SD; Loel Bertrand, Buffalo, MN; and 1 sister, Lorraine Froelich, Lemmon. Blanche was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Lawrence (Larry); 1 brother Howard Bertrand.

Visitation will be Wednesday, 1:00 to 7:00pm at the Evanson-Jensen Funeral Home in Lemmon and on Thursday, one hour prior to services at St. Mary's Catholic Church.