Ev Miller

Ev Miller, age 89, died on April 19, 2024, at Edgewood Vista in Bismarck, ND. 

A funeral service will be held at 1:00 PM, Thursday, April 25, at Trinity Lutheran Church, 502 N 4^th St, Bismarck. Reverend Martha HarriSon will be officiating. To view the service livestream, click this link Live Stream - Trinity Lutheran Church, Bismarck, North Dakota (trinitybismarck.com)

Burial will be held at St. Mary's Cemetery, Bismarck.

Ev was born the youngest of 10 children to Henry and Agnes Miller on a farm near Menoken, ND. His family moved to Driscoll where he attended first grade and then to Bismarck where he attended Bismarck schools, graduating from Bismarck High School in 1953. While in high school, Miller was very active in sports, playing football, basketball and baseball. 

In 1953, while playing on the North Dakota State Championship Demons, he was elected to the All-State basketball team. Ev went on to Bismarck Junior College where he played on the NDIC champion Mystics. He graduated from Jamestown College in 1957 with a degree in English and returned to teach at Bismarck High School, a career that lasted 36 years. Both Bismarck State College and Jamestown College elected Miller to their Alumni Hall of Fame. While at BHS, he coached football, basketball and baseball for 15 years. He was also English Department Chairman for 10 years. Miller retired in 1993. 

In 1957, Ev married Laura Kohlhoff in Jamestown. They had three children. Laura died in 1985. In 1988, Ev married Bev O'Brien Halmrast. In 1974, Ev began his playwriting career. His first play, A DUSTY ECHO, won the North Dakota Bicentennial Playwriting Contest in competition with 100 entries from 23 states. It toured the state in 1976. Miller wrote over 50 plays and had 32 published with 13 American publishing companies. His plays won several national contests and finished as a finalist in numerous others. In addition, he wrote many plays about North Dakota which were produced either in Bismarck or in other cities. One of his proudest achievements was the inclusion of A DUSTY ECHO in the 100-year time capsule which is buried on the North Dakota State Capitol mall and which will be opened in 2076. Ev also wrote poetry and many of his articles were published in state and national magazines. In retirement, Ev kept busy with his writing, reading, exercising, tending his roses, and supervising student teachers. He loved much, but his first love was always his family. During his life, Ev was active in his church, in his career and in his community. He loved Bismarck and, most of all, he loved North Dakota and its people. Ev always felt that North Dakota was the last of the truely great places to live and bring up a family. 

Ev was preceded in death by his parents, two sisters, seven brothers, grandson, stepdaughter, Ev’s first wife, Laura, and his wife, Beverly. 

He is survived by his three children; Julie, Bismarck, Tom, Florence, AZ, and Tracey Ramirez, Parker, CO; three stepdaughters; Jill Monson and Heidi Stein, Bismarck, and Tami Sanchez, Oak Island, NC; 11 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. 

The family wishes memorials be sent to the Conrad Leifur Language Arts Award for Excellence at Bismarck High School.