Harvey W Miller

HARVEY W. MILLER
Harvey W. Miller passed away peacefully on July 10, 2018, at age 90, at Willow Tree Care Center in Delta, Colorado.
Harvey William Miller was born February 10, 1928, in Pierce, Nebraska, the first child of Ezra Edward and Hattie (Plahn) Miller. He attended Pierce schools, graduated in May 1945, and worked that summer and the summers of 1948 and 1949 in Yellowstone National Park. Harvey attended one semester at the University of Nebraska and then joined the Navy, reporting early in 1946 to Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey, and later to the Naval Air Station at Memphis, Tennessee, for instruction. Because the Armed Forces were scaling back post-WWII, he took an early discharge in 1947 and returned to his college studies.
Harvey married Margaret Williams of Norfolk, Nebraska, on September 19, 1948. They made their home in Fort Collins, Colorado, until 1950 when Harvey earned his degree in forestry from Colorado Agriculture and Mechanical College (now Colorado State University).
Harvey started his lifelong career of wildlife biology with the Game and Fish Commission of Nebraska working as a game warden and biologist in Ogallala and Bassett, Nebraska. He worked for the Bureau of Reclamation in Madison, Wisconsin; was manager of a national wildlife refuge at Lake Andes, South Dakota; was one of the first employees at the Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center in Jamestown, North Dakota; served as Central Flyway Coordinator for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service in Lakewood, Colorado; and ended his career in Lubbock, Texas, working for the Playa Lakes Joint Venture Project.
During his career, Harvey worked closely with biologists from Canada and Mexico, spending many weeks each fall in Saskatchewan banding geese for wildlife management purposes. In 1957, Harvey modified existing cannon-netting equipment that became known as the Miller cannon.
Harvey delivered a paper at the International Union of Game Biologists conference in Paris, France, in 1971, the only speaker from the United States. He was a long-time member of many wildlife and hunting organizations including the Wildlife Society, Central Flyway Council, NRA, Ducks Unlimited, and Elk Foundation. Harvey was a charter and life member of the North Dakota Chapter of the Wildlife Society. He drew their logo that is still in use over 55 years later.
Harvey was always an avid hunter; yearly for over 40 years, he traveled to the same ranch in Montana to hunt deer. Elk, waterfowl, and game birds were also the object of innumerable hunting trips.
Harvey and Margaret traveled to Europe, Mexico, the Virgin Islands, Canada, and to many parts of the US including several trips to Alaska. He was active in his church and many civic and fraternal organizations throughout his life. He and Margaret retired to Montrose, Colorado, in 1995 but continued to be very active residents. They hosted many bridge parties and other functions at their home. The Montrose Rotary Club honored Margaret and Harvey as Senior Volunteers of the Month and AARP honored them for their outstanding volunteer service to Montrose.
Harvey was preceded in death by his parents; Margaret, his wife of 66 years; brother, Harold Miller, and sister, Helen Albrecht. Three daughters survive him, Catherine Hollingsworth of Wasilla, Alaska, Carol (Charles) Hillerson of Estes Park, Colorado, and Mary (Mark) Montoya of Stuart, Florida, and five grandsons, Patrick (Lisha) Sanders, Jeff (Nancy) Sanders, Tony (Lori) Hillerson, Eric (Sarah) Hillerson, Christopher (Buffi Tuttle) Montoya and their families. Two brothers-in-law, Donovan Albrecht of Sammamish, Washington, and Mickey Thomas of Osceola, Iowa, and one sister-in-law, Shirley Williams of Manhattan, Kansas, and several nieces and nephews also survive Harvey.
The family deeply appreciates the incredible care, compassion, and attention given by so many in Montrose and Delta to Harvey in the past few years and at the end of his life’s journey.
The family will have a private service at a later date with internment of ashes at Prospect View Cemetery in Pierce, Nebraska.
Memorials may be given to Colorado State University Mountain Campus, Pingree Park Student Scholarship fund, in care of Roberta Brouwer, Warner College of Natural Resources, CSU, 1401 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO, 80523-1401. Crippin Funeral Home & Crematory in Montrose is assisting the family.