Rolland Miller

Funeral services for Rolland “Rollie” Miller, 74, of Baker, will be 2:00 p.m. Monday, January 13, 2020 at Stevenson Funeral Home, Baker, with Pastor Jim Biswell officiation. Burial will follow in Bonnievale Cemetery.


Visitation for Rollie will take place from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Sunday, January 12, 2020 at Stevenson Funeral Home, Baker.


Rollie passed away January 6, 2020 at his home in Baker.


Rolland “Rollie” Miller was born in Sidney, Montana on January 3, 1946. He was one of 11 children born to William and Sarah (Vanderhoof) Miller. He grew up in Fairview and graduated from Fairview High School. Following the death of his mother, at the age of 13, Rollie and his brother Mel were raised by foster parents, Bud and Hennie Starr.


As children, Rollie and Mel spent most of their time together. The loved to fish, box and watch boxing matches. Always competitive, Rollie made a contest of everything, even fishing with his brothers. Bud Starr was the boxing coach for Rollie and Mel and guided them to many titles. In 1965, Rollie “Boom-Boom” and Mel “Pel Mel” became the first brothers to win National Golden Gloves championships in the same year. Fairview became known as the “Home of the Fighting Miller Brothers.” The brothers recently received honorable mention in the Montana Greats Project, a list of the best athletes form each town in Montana.


Throughout his boxing career, Rollie earned many other titles, including state AAU titles in both Montana and North Dakota (where he attended college on a scholarship); a second National Golden Gloves championship in 1967; winner of the Pan-American trials in Minneapolis, MN; Little Sullivan Award for Montana’s outstanding athlete.


On May 9, 1992, Rollie married Lynne Robinson in Sidney. They made their home in Baker. In addition to working various jobs in the oilfield, Rollie owned “Rollie’s Upholstry” in Baker. He loved his time pipelining and made many life-long friends while working in the oilfield. Rollie could often be found helping others, or playing cribbage with friends. He always had a joke to pass on to friends. He especially loved his dog Chelsea, his grandsons Adam, Alex, and Nate, and attending Fairview Festival.


Survivors include his loving wife, Lynne; sons, Scott and Cory; daughter, Wendy; grandsons, Adam, Alex, and Nate. He is also survived by his brothers, Alvin and Fred of Fairview, MT; Robert (Penny) Ernster of Savage, MT; sisters-in-law Jan Miller, Sue Miller and Debbie Ernster, all of Fairview, and Rochelle Conroy of Baker; brothers-in-law, Chauncey Robinson of Great Falls and Kirk Conroy of Baker, MT; and numerous nieces and nephews.


He was preceded in death by his parents and his foster parents; brothers, Bud, Bill, Mel, and Virgil Miller and Larry Ernster; and sisters Ruby Yadon, Rose Yadon and Verna Miller.