Wendell V. Miller Obituary (1933

Wendell V Miller was born December 21, 1933 in Provo, Utah to Elliott VanZant and Lila Margaret Fullmer Miller. He was found dead from an accident Friday, July 27, 2018. Wendell had apparently been feeding his beloved dogs, when he fell into a large hole that one of his dogs had dug out. Friends had missed him for days but had not been able to locate him. A friend, who noticed that the dogs had not been fed or watered, started to care for the dogs when he found the body lying in the bottom of a hole. Wendell had apparently lost consciousness in the fall as there were no signs of a struggle to get out of the hole. Wendell leaves behind a family and friends. He is survived by his 6 children: Curtis (deceased), Clinton, Cory, Charisma, Christopher, Charie and Chiara; 23 grandchildren and sisters, MarjO’lee and Marilyn. Wendell served in the Navy for a few years in the mid 1950's, prior to his marriage and starting a family. He enjoyed his service in the military on an aircraft carrier, where he had started his training for pilot school. After serving in the Navy he took Firefighter training and was employed with the Provo City Fire Department where he served the City of Provo for 25 years. He retired from his service as a firefighter due to symptoms from an injury that prevented him from performing the demanding physical requirements. He lived in Utah County from retirement until about 5 years ago when he moved to Lund after purchasing some land there. After buying his Lund property in Southern Utah, Wendell got some dogs to keep him company and began to build a new home and life for himself there. He would frequently go into Cedar City to get supplies and to get acquainted with the townspeople. Lots of people recognized Wendell, the man with a smile and beard that reminded them of Santa Claus. Wendell was interested in everyone and everything it seemed, and soon he had a group of people who looked forward to seeing him on his weekly visits. Wendell was very active and self-sufficient for a man in his 80's. Wendell had plans to build a modern farm utilizing aquaponics and other high-tech methods to help provide a healthier food base for Southern Utah. He also returned to his roots in the LDS church, becoming very active in his local ward and eventually serving as a temple worker in the new Cedar City Temple. The people he ministered to knew he really cared about them, and they cared about him in return. Wendell left many friends there in his passing, that are better for having known him, and though they will miss him, they know he has gone to a better reward. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m., Friday, August 3, 2018 at the Berg Drawing Room Chapel, 185 E. Center Street, Provo, Utah. Friends may visit with the family from 10-10:45 a.m. prior to services. Interment will be held at 2:00 p.m., Tuesday, August 7, 2018 at the Utah Veterans Memorial Park, 17111 S. Camp Williams Rd., Bluffdale, Utah. Condolences may be expressed at www.bergmortuary.com.