Phyllis Marian Miller of Reedsburg passed away peacefully on July 27, 2024. The daughter of Orville and Esther Rath Arneson, Phyllis was born in 1941 at Oak Ridge in Orion Township. The family moved to a farm just west of Lime Ridge in 1946, and into a house in Lime Ridge in 1954. Phyllis was a member of the first class to attend Weston High School for a full four years, graduating in 1959. She married Roger Miller in 1963, and they enjoyed nearly 40 years together before he passed away in 2010.  

Phyllis relished her many ties throughout the community, cultivated in part through her work at Reedsburg Lanes, the A&W drive-in, and Culligan Water Softeners, as well as keeping books for Roger’s businesses, Reedsburg Sanitation and Reedsburg Motors.  Later in life she worked alongside her sister Lois Myers at Collins’ Drug Store.  She also served as a Brownie troop leader, an active parent at St. Peter’s Lutheran School, and a volunteer for the annual United Fund drive.  Mostly she loved a good laugh and lively conversation around the kitchen table; the coffee pot was always on and the door always open.

Phyllis will be remembered for her lively curiosity and sharp intellect.  An avid reader, she was especially fond of presidential histories.  She and Roger also loved driving to Wisconsin’s small towns and historic sites, searching out colorful bits of local history, and finding the best cafés; she and Roger drove to all 72 Wisconsin courthouses, compiling “now” photos alongside historic “then” postcards.  A longtime local historian and collector, she enjoyed Reedsburg history, and especially the town’s business history. In 2003 she published Reedsburg in Vintage Postcards.  She served on the board at the Reedsburg Area Historical Society and Pioneer Village, and was a member of the Reedsburg Historic Preservation Commission.  She loved searching for objects from Reedsburg’s past, and over time gathered a large collection of artifacts and memorabilia that numbered well over 700 items at the time she donated it to the City of Reedsburg in 2019. It is now on view in the historic library building, and online at https://www.reedsburghpc.org/pmc/.

In later years, Phyllis beautifully modeled resilience and good humor in the face of a series of health challenges; her family and friends took inspiration from her grace and tenacity.  Her survivors include son Todd Miller, daughter Marla and son-in-law Stephen Peck, brother Robert Arneson and his wife Dolores Powell Arneson, and sister Lois Arneson Myers, as well as several nieces and nephews, other family, and many friends.

Memorial services will be held Saturday, August 3 at 11 AM at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Reedsburg with Pastor Butler officiating. Visitation will be held Friday, August 2 from 4 to 7 PM at Grasse Funeral Service and again Saturday from 10 AM until the time of service at the church. Interment will take place at Greenwood Cemetery in Reedsburg with a luncheon to follow. Memorials in honor of Phyllis may be made to the Reedsburg Historic Preservation Commission, Reedsburg United Fund, or the Multiple Sclerosis Society of America.  

Phyllis’s family wishes to extend their deep and heart-felt thanks to the wonderful staff at Casa de Oakes for their extraordinary, loving care. We are grateful too for thoughtful and compassionate support of Agrace Hospice Care.