ReNee Miller

ReNee Judd Miller was born March 19, 1937 in Provo, Utah, to Alonzo and Ethel Judd, the second of two daughters. When her parents separated, ReNee moved to southern Idaho with her mother and sister, Garna. Eventually, her mother married Les Thurston and five more siblings joined Garna and ReNee. After high school, ReNee attended beauty school in Burley, Idaho, and became a beautician at a local salon. On a warm summer day during this time, ReNee was attending to some errands, and as she exited a bank, she saw a strikingly handsome young man leaning against a car. Not long after, ReNee agreed to a friend's suggestion to go on a blind date and was shocked when this same handsome stranger, Darrell Allen Miller, was introduced as her date. That evening was the beginning of a deeply devoted relationship. ReNee and Darrell were married in Burley, Idaho, on September 9, 1957. This marriage was later solemnized in the Idaho Falls Temple on March 21, 1963. ReNee served in a variety of positions in the LDS church during her life. Soon after marriage, ReNee and Darrell moved to Rupert, Idaho. The early 1960s were busy years, and ReNee had a full plate as she cared for her home and raised four sons: Darrell Ray, Gary Allen, Rodney Lee, and Jay Lynn. By the late 1960s, she found time to open a successful beauty salon in a back room of her house. Though she did a brisk business, ReNee decided to close the salon in the late 1970s and devoted her time to other pursuits, including photography and gardening. ReNee and Darrell's garden was wonderfully bountiful year after year, and they enjoyed sharing that bounty with others. They would host harvest parties and family would gather from across the region to lend a hand, especially with the corn. As the men brought the ears from the garden and shucked them, the women worked quickly in the garage over the canning stove and extra tables. The freezers were filled, as were the kids, adults, and cows. Sharing food is a way of showing love, and ReNee always ensured that people had plenty to eat - whether it was produce from the garden, a sandwich and soda, or a quick trip for a hamburger. Throughout the years, one of ReNee's favorite pastimes was searching yard sales for treasures - she loved the chase as much as the savings. She not only furnished and decorated her house this way, she also found clothes for herself and her grandkids. Her thrifty hobby was another outlet for her kindness, as she often gave away far more than she kept for herself. Generosity colored her life as she liberally shared her love, time, and money. ReNee was preceded in death by her parents and sister, Garna, and half-siblings, Phyllis, Jim, and Mike. She is survived by her half-sisters, Ann Odekirk and Jean Christensen, and her husband, Darrell, as well as her four sons, eleven grandchildren, and numerous great grandchildren. ReNee passed away on February 20, 2017 in Gooding, Idaho with family. She is buried in Paul Cemetary, Paul, Idaho February 24, 2017.