Joseph Wesley Miller, 84

Joseph Wesley Miller, 84, of Kalispell, passed away July 3, 2022.

He was born Feb. 13, 1938, in Bath, Illinois, to Joseph Warner and Mae Gertrude (Hobbs) Miller, and would go on to be raised in Petersburg, Illinois, with his 11 siblings. Joe quit school at a young age to support his family and started a life of many careers.

Joe started working at a young age as a butcher and worked for Menchetti’s in Petersburg. He then went on to own a tree business as well as being a self-taught contractor. He built many houses throughout Menard County and the surrounding area until moving to Grangeville, Idaho. He gained a highly respected reputation for his building and craftsmanship throughout the Grangeville area before moving to Kalispell. Joe loved to work and was so proud of his craft. From homes to custom furniture, he was a jack-of-all-trades. You can drive around many communities, including Kalispell, and see many of the beautiful homes and businesses he built. He loved to show old photos of all the custom furniture and projects he had built. He shared his love for work and carpentry with many of his children and taught them those skills from an early age that they have taken into their adult lives.

As in love with work as Joe was, he was equally in love with all the things that came with his downtime. He enjoyed hunting, fishing and spending time with his kids and grandkids. He loved to reload his ammunition and would spend countless hours reminiscing about his experiences growing up, whether it be about work, family or hunting and fishing. He was a kind soul who loved the Lord and would give anyone the shirt off his back. He was one of the good ol’ boys and he will be missed by many.

Joseph was preceded in death by his parents, Joseph and Mae; brothers, James, Richard, Donald, Johnny and Wayne; and sisters, Ida, Mary, Mildred, Geraldine, Linda and Evelyn Miller.

He is survived by children, Joey (Amy) Miller, Nesa (Rob) Goss, Tommy (Wendy) Miller, Amanda (Brian) Davey, Mike (Melissa) Miller, Alex Miller, Aiden Miller, Jon Miller and stepson Jason (Danette) Watkins; and grandchildren, Ryan, Brett, Megan, Kevin, Dawn-Marie, Melissa, Ava, Mason, Katelyn, Makenna, Kaleb, Heavyn, Joe, Christopher and Tommy.

Joe has been cremated and his remains will be spread up in the mountains at a later date so he can look after his two youngest sons, per his wishes.

Friends are encouraged to visit the website buffalohillfh.com to leave notes of condolence for the family. Buffalo Hill Funeral Home & Crematory is caring for the family.