Gaylerd Rollin Miller, 86

Born January 5, 1939 in Dallas Center, IA

Died July 2, 2025 at home in Mansfield, MO

Gaylerd was born in Dallas Center, Iowa, to Galen and Florence Miller. He was the youngest of seven children.

As a young man he attended Messiah Academy in Grantham, Pennsylvania for 2 years, then Messiah College for 2 years.

On July 5, 1958, at the age of 19, he married Marlene Knight. To this union were born four children: Samuel Mark, (Linnea) Joy, Steven Curtis, and Anita Jill.

As young pastors with small children, they were very poor financially. Gaylerd hunted for their food, and Marlene skillfully cooked all sorts of things…opossum, ground hog, squirrel, etc.

Gaylerd was a faithful servant of God and pastored many churches including Knifley, Kentucky, Dayton, Ohio, Knifley, Kentucky (Brethren in Christ). He was ordained with the Church of God (Holiness) in 1993 and pastored at Wheatland, Missouri, Fordland, Missouri and Brush Arbor, Missouri.

Gaylerd had tremendous building, plumbing, and electrical skills along with general maintenance skills. He worked at the Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home & Museum in Mansfield, Missouri, mowing the yard, trimming trees, and designing and building custom wooden crates for the Little House on the Prairie book set to be sold in. He provided maintenance services at Mt. Zion Bible School. In his later years, he enjoyed keeping his and the neighbors' yards meticulously mowed.

Up until the day before he died, he was serving his neighbors and community.

Gaylerd enjoyed singing and playing guitar, teaching his children and grandchildren to love music. Often, they would sit around the living room together, playing and singing together - Marlene on the accordion, Joy at the piano, Sam at the electric keyboard. He and Marlene enjoyed Gaither Homecoming music and would listen to it or the local Christian radio. "Come to the Church in the Wildwood" was a favorite.

In addition to music, Gaylerd enjoyed taking pictures and making cards. He made a special point to get pictures when family and friends were visiting. Most years, he mailed Christmas cards that he had designed on his computer and printed from home.

Gaylerd was a beloved husband, father, and Papa. He would take the grandchildren and great grandchildren on golf cart rides around the property and to feed the fish at the pond. He, along with his children, diligently provided care for Marlene beginning in November 2024 when she became bedfast.

Gaylerd was known for his dry humor and funny sayings. If you asked him "How are you, today?" He might say "Well, I'm able to sit up and take nourishment." or "I have more ambition than three dead frogs." If you caught him hard at work (as he often was), he would say "It's not the work I need as bad as the money." When celebrating a birthday…"I've never been this old before." Upon seeing someone with a plate of food: "If you eat that, it's going to go straight to your stomach."

Gaylerd is preceded in death by his parents Galen R. and Florence K. Miller; three sisters Carol Miller, June (Ray) Miller Fiscel, Betty (Peter) Miller Beni; one brother, Dale Miller; and a son, Steven Miller.

Gaylerd is survived by his wife, Marlene, of nearly 67 years; his sisters Pat Boyd of Cathedral City, California and Jody (John) Miller Boggs of Winona Lake, Indiana; three children, Samuel (Cynthia) Miller of Mansfield, Missouri, Joy Miller of Columbia, Kentucky, and Anita (Jason) Mardis of Columbia, Kentucky; 8 grandchildren, Sandra (Jon) Kreutzweiser, Laura (Justin) Schaper, Hanna (Jacob) Blair, David (Kate) Streeval, Stephanie Unfred, Stanley Miller, Wesley Miller, and Destiny Coomer; 9 great-grandchildren, Pierre Arnette, Evan and Finley Kreutzweiser, Colton, Chloe, and Cadence Schaper, Jackson Blair, Wyatt and Ganon Coomer; and a host of extended family and countless friends.

Visitation for Gaylerd will be Saturday, July 5, 2025 at 9:30 A.M. in the Clinkingbeard Chapel, Ava, Missouri, and his services will also be Saturday, 11:00 A.M. July 5, 2025 in the Clinkingbeard Chapel with burial following in the Mt. Zion Cemetery, Ava.

Officiating will be Rev. Ken Thompson and Rev. Nolan Bryant. Memorials may be made to Mt. Zion Bible School, Rt. 1, Box 48, Ava, MO 65608.