Geraldine “Geri” Miller, a lifelong resident of Nezperce, passed away Tuesday, July 28, 2026, at the age of 95. Born on the Camas Prairie on Jan. 24, 1931, to Leo and Dorothy Fuchs, she attended Catholic school through the eighth grade in Nezperce. Upon graduating the eighth grade, she received a scholarship to St. Mary’s Academy near Toledo, Wash. She attended St. Mary’s for her freshman year but returned home to be with her family over concerns of the ongoing war. She completed high school in Nezperce, graduating in 1949.
Geri was working at the local drug store soda fountain when she caught the eye of Duane Miller, a local farm boy. They were married Oct. 20, 1953, and raised four boys on their family farm west of town.
Geri was active in Nezperce community affairs all her adult life, including the Altar Society at the local Catholic Church and the Legion Auxiliary. She was very involved in Cub Scouts, taking on the role of Den Mother and helping each of her four boys and many dozens of others progress through the scouting program. She worked with the minister of the local Christian Church to organize community members whose efforts resulted in the construction of the Nezperce swimming pool, one of only two pools on the prairie.
She possessed many creative talents including sewing, embroidery, crocheting, knitting and various other arts and crafts. Not surprisingly, she was instrumental in establishing the Nezperce Hobby Club and she remained active throughout its many years. Of all her creative talents, cake decorating was where she truly excelled. Over the years she not only made beautifully decorated birthday cakes a family tradition, but also baked and decorated dozens of wedding cakes for nieces, nephews and many family friends.
She always enjoyed their winter trips to Arizona where they traveled between trap shoots (Duane’s passion) and where she maintained many close and lasting friendships.
She was proud to be the oldest resident of Nezperce, living at her home by herself until October 2025. One of her proudest moments was being honored as “Pioneer of the Year” during Prairie Day 2022, Nezperce’s annual community celebration.
Geri had a hidden mischievous side that on occasion would surface. One of its favorite manifestations was unsuspecting dinner guests falling victim to her dreaded “dibble glass” (one of her most prized possessions). Her strategic deployment of “the glass” provided the family with a great deal of entertainment over the years. Membership in “The Dribble Glass Club” (a position of honor in the Miller household) is now estimated to exceed 100. Being a family member did not necessarily provide protection against her practical shenanigans. She was known to serve “treats” of various chocolate-covered insects or candied grasshoppers to her boys and would not hesitate to “short-sheet” beds in retaliation to their own harvest-time hi-jinks.
Geri’s crowning achievement in the arena of retaliatory arts came in her early years of being a farmer’s wife, after a rambunctious harvest crew stuffed barley beards down the back of both Geri and her summer helper. The hot lunch, which Geri and her helper delivered to the field the next day, contained a special treat of chocolate cookies. The crew consumed them with enthusiasm, totally oblivious to the fact that Geri’s chocolate flavoring of choice was Ex-Lax. Fortunately, combines were much smaller back then and the crews were able to climb on and off them without much difficulty (a maneuver they were compelled to perform repeatedly for the rest of the afternoon).
One would think that, at the age of 95½, Geri would have outgrown her proclivity for mischief. But she was able to pull off one last “goodbye gag” a couple of weeks ago when — powered only by her feet from a sitting position in her wheelchair — she slipped away from her caregiver at the skilled nursing facility, pulled the fire alarm, then greeted the ensuing commotion with a look that plainly said, “How do you like those bananas?”
Geri was preceded in death by her parents, Leo and Dorothy; her husband, Duane; her siblings Mary, Pauline, Dolores, Richard and Clarence; and her granddaughter Naudy.
She is survived by her sons, John (Debbie), Denis (Yolimar), James (Wendy) and Robert (Maria); seven grandsons, three granddaughters, seven great-grandsons, four great-granddaughters and one well-used dribble glass.
Services were held Tuesday, Aug. 4, at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Nezperce.
Memorials may be sent to: Nezperce Ambulance, Inc.; P.O. Box 164; Nezperce, ID 83543.
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