Ernie was born in Tacoma, WA on September 4, 1939 and lived on the family dairy until June 29, 1947 when the family moved to Malo, WA. He attended Curlew School, graduating in 1957. While growing up he worked on ranches for Frank Ells, Eli Hilliard, and Frank Grumbach. In August of 1957 Ernie joined the US Navy assigned to an aviation squadron and made 2 deployments to Iwakuni, Japan. After successful completion of his military service in 1960, he worked with his brother on the ranch in Malo, spent a month in Benge, WA in the wheat fields, worked for Frank Grumbach again, drove school bus for the Curlew School District and did some logging for Bob Thiele/Sampson. In the spring of 1963 he moved to the West side of the state working for Nalley's in Tacoma, Hooker Chemical in Tacoma, and in 1964 joined the Auburn Police Dept. in Auburn, WA and retired as Lieutenant/Investigations Commander on January 31, 1990. In the summer of 1978 he started Miller Dozing doing custom grading in his off hours and this continued until the business bust of 1993. In 1996 he moved back to Malo and became a full time RVer going to Wellton, Dateland and Goodyear, AZ for the winter to ride motorcycles in warmer weather, and retired from that in the spring of 2008, residing in Malo.
Ernie was a member of the Malo Grange for 57+ yrs, a life member of the Tacoma Swiss Sportsman Club in Bonney Lake, WA, a life member of the American Motorcyclist Association, and a life member of the Good Sam Club

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Ernie was preceded in death by his parents Louis and Bertha Miller and brother Louis Jr. (Bud)

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He is survived by his son Ernest Jr. (Jake) and daughter Julie, Aunt Elizabeth of Raymond, WA, Aunt Betty Marti of Colville, WA, several cousins, nieces and nephews scattered though Idaho, Oregon and Washington

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Memorial services will be held Saturday, September 29 at 1:00 pm in the Malo Grange Hall.