Diane D. Miller

Diane Dorothy Miller, age 78, of Clinton, Iowa, and formerly of Preston, passed away peacefully on Monday, September 28, 2026, at The Alverno in Clinton. A Funeral Mass will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, October 2, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Preston. A visitation will be held prior to the mass from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at the church. Burial will follow at Miles Cemetery.

Diane was born on January 14, 1948, in Clinton, Iowa, the daughter of Edmund and Marie (Kilburg) Schmidt. The third of four children, Diane was raised on a farm four miles east of Springbrook. With her father working second shift, she learned the value of hard work at a very young age. She did her fair share of the chores, helping to milk the cows and raise the hogs, cattle, and chickens. She attended country school in Washington Township through the eighth grade and later attended Preston High School, where she met her high school sweetheart and the love of her life, Delbert Miller.

Diane and Delbert were united in marriage in 1971, shortly after Delbert returned from serving in Vietnam. Together, they purchased a farm west of Preston where they would spend decades cultivating the land and raising their three children.

While she spent some time working at the speaker factory in Sabula, Diane’s truest calling was as a homemaker, a mother, and a farm wife. She was a wonderful mom who made sure to teach her children the importance of hard work and responsibility. Frugal and deeply resourceful, Diane took exceptional care of the farm and her family. They rarely ate out, living instead on the chickens, ducks, geese, and steers they raised themselves. Diane always tended a large garden and spent hours canning her harvest. She was also an extraordinary cook and home baker, famous among her family for making the absolute best homemade buns, cinnamon rolls, and perfectly flaky pie crusts.

Diane also had a vibrant, fun-loving social life. She loved playing cards, and once a month, she and her friends would take turns hosting big card parties. The kids always tagged along, and these gatherings became a cherished pillar of their family life.

In 2020, Diane and Delbert moved off the farm and back to town, settling into her parents’ old house in Preston. There, Diane found immense joy in tending to her father's roses and mums. She was notoriously sweet-toothed, always keeping a candy dish full of York Peppermint Patties ready for visitors. More than anything, she loved a good milkshake. A butterscotch milkshake from the North End Dairy was her absolute favorite, and she always made sure to slurp up every last drop!

Above all, Diane was a deeply caring woman who adored her family. Her grandchildren, who will have the honor of serving as her honorary pallbearers, along with her great-grandchildren, were her pride and joy.

Diane will be dearly missed by her two daughters, Dana (Mike) Phillips of Camanche, IA, Delores (Dale Claussen) Miller of Clinton, IA, and Step-daughter, Tina (Curt) Rockwell of Delta, CO; her daughter-in-law, Jen Miller of Preston; ten grandchildren, Jordan (Carlie) Phillips, Zach (Myra) Phillips, Kylie (Noah) Everson, Conner Gregorich, Tenley Miller, Mikaela Miller, Ian Rockwell, Justin (Kenna) Rockwell, Isayah Rockwell, and Ezra Rockwell; her beloved great-grandchildren; her brother Gary (Mary) Schmidt of Preston; and many loving in-laws, cousins, nephews, nieces, & extended family members.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Edmund and Marie; her beloved husband of 54 years, Delbert; her dear son, Dan Miller; her siblings Leon Schmidt and Beverly Beauchamp, and other deceased members of the Schmidt and Miller families.