David Michael Miller , of Saint Peter and the University of Minnesota, age 20.

David was born February 3, 1996, in Richland, WA. He was baptized on April 9, 1996, at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Kennewick, WA, and confirmed on May 1, 2011, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Saint Peter, MN. He was formerly a member of Richland Lutheran Church in Richland, WA, and presently a member of Our Savior Lutheran in Mankato, MN.

David grew up in the desert, the land of tumbleweeds and sagebrush. He loved family trips to the mountains and the Oregon coast. Observing creatures in the tide pools was a highlight of those trips. Chess was pivotal to David's emerging intellect. He absorbed the game from his brothers and began playing in Kindergarten not having had any instruction. A trophy from a state tournament along with dozens more claimed a shelf in his bookcase. He observed a short time ago that the value of chess in his childhood had not been for the game itself but the training to think about the possibilities three or four steps ahead.

David and his family moved to Saint Peter in 2005. David found a second home in the school theater program, first building sets and then adding sound and lighting technical activities while making good friends in the process. In addition to its value in theater, David's rich, deep voice was an asset in the speech and mock trial programs. He competed in the discussion category where he honed his team-building and conflict-resolution skills, earning a berth at the state tournament. Mock trial rounded out his high school activities. Teammates and opponents alike respected his presence and poise under pressure. His first Red Cross gallon blood donation pin was a point of pride.

David studied biochemistry at the College of Biological Sciences at the University of Minnesota. Pharmacy school was his next goal. He cultivated friendships with roommates and peers that showed his value of scholarship, comradery, humor, and loyalty. Living in an apartment on campus impelled David to learn to cook with his roommates where they prepared and shared nightly meals. From scones to quesadillas, curries and soups to brownies, David and the guys showed creativity and an experimental bent in the kitchen. His mother loved the calls home for advice. David's future showed so much promise.

David lived a short life, but it was a very good life. He filled his time with meaningful work and deep relationships. We will remember his intellect, his curiosity, his wisdom, his wry wit and quirky humor, his kindness, his humility, his faithfulness, his friendship and loyalty, his gift of listening attentively, and his empathy and love.

May this experience of loving and then losing David so soon create in us the desire to listen more patiently and show each other more kindness, more mercy, and more love.

David's confirmation verse: Revelation 2:10 "Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life."

Left to grieve and cherish his memory are his parents, Jim and Laurie; his brothers, Joseph Sander Martinez and Carl; his grandparents, Faye Miller née Flohrs and Jack and Carol Ann Sander; his uncles and aunts, Thomas and Cheri Miller, David and Cathryn Miller, Michael Sander, and Douglas Sander; his cousins, Evan Miller (Jennifer Hogan) and Chelsea Miller; and many relatives, friends, and teachers.

David was preceded in death by his grandmother, Betty Mae Sander née Wallen; grandfather, George Morris Miller; and his great-grandmother, Helen Agnes Wallen née Mickelson.

A memorial service will be held on June 3, 2016, at 2 pm at Christ Chapel at Gustavus Adolphus College in Saint Peter, MN, with visitation an hour prior to the service.

Contact Johnson-Peterson in Saint Paul, MN, for arrangement details. johnsonpeterson.com

Memorial suggestion:

David Michael Miller Memorial Scholarship Fund through Scholarship America, a 501(c)(3) organization

St. Peter-Kasota Dollars for Scholars/David M. Miller Memorial Fund

PO Box 233

St. Peter, MN 56082

Or

stpeter-kasota.dollarsforscholars.org   Please indicate the donation is in David's memory.

Schools attended:

University of Minnesota, College of Biological Sciences, Minneapolis, MN, 2014-2016

Gustavus Adolphus College PSEO, Saint Peter, MN, 2013-2014

Saint Peter Schools, Saint Peter, MN, 2005-2014

Sacajawea Elementary, Richland, WA, 2001-2005

West Side Church Preschool, Richland, WA, 1999-2001

Although one of the three bright lights of our lives has been extinguished, the memory abides.