Jane Andre Miller, lifelong resident of Hot Springs, SD, died peacefully at age 93 the evening of Tuesday, December 23, 2014 at the Pine Hills Retirement Community Center in Hot Springs.

The oldest child of William McKinley Andre and Gertrude Wright Andre, Jane was often responsible for watching over her siblings, Walter, Carl "Teeny", and Eleanor "Porky" Fleming/Lee, especially when Bill was Sheriff of Fall River County; the family resided in the City Courthouse, where Jane's mother would prepare the meals for both the family and jail inmates. Later the family lived in an Evans Hotel suite of rooms and then on college hill while Bill was Police Chief.

In 1936, Jane was selected Miss Hot Springs for the Miss South Dakota Pageant, a precursor to what later became the Miss America Competition. While deemed too young to participate in the state contest, Jane stayed active in the pageant for years. It was through a high school elocution competition that she met South Dakota Poet Laureate Badger Clark, a friendship they continued through correspondence for decades. After graduation Jane summered with her Aunt Marian in Los Angeles, and California became Jane's favorite state to visit. After retirement Jane and John often stayed with friends in Rancho Bernardo, with her son's family in the San Francisco Bay Area and proceeded on to the Phoenix area.

After working at Alarie's Drug Store in Hot Springs and later at Igloo, Jane married John Martin Miller in May 1943, in Deming, NM, where John was based with the 321st Airborne Division of the Army Air Corps. Prior to his being deployed to Guam as a B29 bombardier, their son Jock was born in January 1945. After WWII, the small family managed the Deadwood Country Club before returning to Hot Springs; shortly thereafter both Jane and John started their careers with the Hot Springs VA. In 1973, after 25 years of government service Jane retired from the VA where she was Secretary to the Director.

Jane's true talent was preparing all those "game" entrees John brought home for dinner. She enjoyed golf with her lady friends, whether at HSCC or Arrowhead and Jane always had a book nearby. She took great pleasure in telling jokes and seemed to have one for every occasion; her memory for New Yorker one-liners was amazing. But Jane most loved the hours spent with Johnny at Deerfield in their camping trailer, at Angostura with their dogs, and at one time she seemed to know the name of nearly every plant found in The Hills. She was immensely proud of the town of Hot Springs and its lovely sandstone structures; Jane was able to relate the histories and prior owners of most downtown buildings as well as many Hot Springs residences. To her the Southern Black Hills were a beautiful, beloved home.

She is survived by her son John, his wife Sandy, daughter, Stacia and son-in-law, Luke of the Seattle, WA, area; nieces and nephews, Jim Andre of Aspen, CO; Jayne (Grant) Linck of Riverton, WY; JoAnn (Lars) Flanagan of Riverton, WY; John Andre of CA; Jeff (Janelle) Andre of Cody, WY; Bill (Susan) Fleming of Rapid City, SD; Pete (Cindy) Fleming of Hermosa, SD; sister-in-law, Della Andre of Pierre, SD; newphews, Bill, Craig and Richard Andre.

Jane was preceded in death by her husband and Best Buddy of nearly 70 years, John Miller; her parents, Bill and Gertrude Andre; brothers, Walt and Carl; sister-in-law, Judy Becnel Andre; sister, Eleanor; as well as her granddaughter, Samantha Andre Miller.

She will be immensely missed by all who knew and loved her.

Memorial services will be held 11:00 a.m., Friday, June 26, 2015, at the Black Hills National Cemetery in Sturgis with Fr. Leo Hausmann officiating.