Robin Jean Miller

Robin Jean Miller, 60, a longtime Storm Lake resident, moved into the next life with Jesus Christ on December 31, 2022 while on a short trip to Hinckley, Minnesota.
Funeral services will take place Thursday, January 5, 2023 at 2:00 p.m. at the St. Mary's Catholic Church in Storm Lake. Visitation will be held prior to the service from 12-2:00 p.m. at the CHURCH. The Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Storm Lake is in charge of arrangements.
Robin (Bird) Miller was the fourth of five children born May 17, 1962 to John and Mary Schultz of Kiron, Iowa. The Schultz's had homesteads in Ricketts and Odebolt before settling in Kiron where John opened a lumberyard which is still in operation today. Robin was baptized and confirmed at Bethel Lutheran Church in Kiron during her childhood years. She attended Ricketts, Schleswig and Denison grade schools during the 1970s before graduating from Denison High School in 1980.
Robin was a diligent worker from her teen years to present day. She was often complimented on her dedication, quality and timeliness....as quoted by one of her employers, "grass never grows under her feet."
Her work career started at the Denison Bulletin Newspaper just after graduation with side jobs that included Cronk's Cafe where she got to speak and serve Hollywood's and It's a Wonderful Life star Donna Reed, a Denison native.
She moved to Storm Lake in the early 1980s to begin work at the Storm Lake Pilot & Tribune as a layout and design artist and work with the then modern Compugraphic Editwriters in which all layout was done in points and typed into the computer like code. Never one to stand pat, she worked at the Lake Apothecary on Lake Avenue during the same time, processing picture film. Everything from next day to one hour.
During her time at the Pilot & Tribune, Robin met her husband Jay Miller who was a student at Buena Vista College. They dated for a couple years before tying the knot on August 19, 1988. Tara (1983), TJ (1988) and Ashley (1991) made this family of five during the 1980s through today. Robin was a mother who attended her children's sport events (sometimes more than one in a day), school functions, dance recitals, fundraisers and etc. without fail. Every birthday, holiday and even a simple weekday could be made special by her smile or hug. Her children were her happiness and she worked hard to give them the love and things she deemed needed.
Robin continued her professional career as the backroom manager at Siefer Consultants in Storm Lake for over a dozen years putting together mailings and booklets as well as newsletters in the finance world. She moved to Standard Printing and Design for five years before settling into her most fulfilling job as a bookkeeper for her employer and one of her best friends, Tara Hach and Anemometry Specialists in 2007 where she worked until her untimely passing.
Robin and Jay opened Storm City Auto Parts in 2012, which is now an independent Napa store...the only auto parts store that is corporately based in Storm Lake. Robin, beside her duties at her fulltime job, managed the bills at Storm City Auto Parts since 2013 and often worked weekends at home to balance figures. Her duties also included work with the state and national governments on payrolls taxes, insurance audits if required and much, much more.
Her passions spilled over into many things, and one was being outside. She loved to fish. She had a green thumb and had an intricate flower garden around her present home of 23 years outside of Newell. Outside of the landscaping done by her husband, Robin's natural abilities with flowers made for an elaborate and picturesque homestead. She also loved growing vegetables in the bunks made by her father and nephew from Kiron and took pride in the seven acres she helped shape. The house was always in immaculate order and clean.
An avid card player, Robin played poker and everything in-between from her teen years with parents, uncles and aunts till this day with her children, in-laws and out-laws. Though the stakes are miniscule (nickel, dime, quarter), the pride of winning a hand at the table was large. Robin and Jay also made the occasional casino run that they enjoyed together.
Most of all, she is best remembered as Grandma to her grandkids, the same warmth she had for her children carried over to her grandchildren...whether it was at her house, making tacos and 'gma burgers', riding with them in the golf cart, taking a walk down the lane with the dogs or attending their sports events, grandma was there.
Lastly, Robin was a tremendous cook. She had a penchant for making all things taste great. It began with maid-rites (taverns to some), spaghetti, pork cutlets, chicken alfredo and more. Of course, there was almost always a pan of scotch-a-roos nearby, because she liked to have sweets around for kids and it became a staple of Miller Family Christmas' in Whittemore over the years.
Robin is survived by her husband: Jay of Storm Lake, Iowa; daughter: Tara (Andy) Kosky of Storm Lake, Iowa; son: TJ (Lexi) Miller of Sioux Falls, South Dakota: daughter: Ashley (Nick) Reuter of Grimes, Iowa; grandchildren: Breydon, Audrey, Landyn and Grayson Kosky of Storm Lake; Jaelynn Martens and Andaley Miller of Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Also surviving are her parents: John and Mary Schultz of Kiron; sister: Lynne (Tim Vaughn) Petersen of Omaha, Nebraska; brother: Paul (Roxy Neuman) Schultz of Kiron; twin brother: Roland Schultz of Adel; and brother: Steve (Brandee) Schultz of Kiron.
Robin was preceded in death by her parents in-law, Dennis and Brenda Miller of Whittemore.