Gene Price

Gene Price, 83, of Miller, passed away Sunday, May 15, 2011 at the Good Samaritan Society, Miller.

Mass of Christian Burial was held at 10:30 a.m., Thursday, May 19, 2011 at St. Ann’s Catholic Church, Miller with Father Chester Murtha, celebrant.  Burial followed at St. Ann’s Cemetery at Miller.  Visitation was held from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., Wednesday, May 18, 2011 with a 7:00 p.m. prayer service, all at St. Ann’s Catholic Church, Miller.

Gene was born November 25, 1927 in Perry, Iowa to Ezra and Sylvia (Eaton) Price.  Gene grew up on his grandfather’s farm 12 miles north of Miller.  At the start of elementary school, Sylvia moved the family into Miller.  For recreation, the boys would hang out in pool halls and at the sale barn.  Because of labor shortages during WWII, Gene and other children around the age of thirteen would be pulled from school to help drive and sort cattle at the local livestock sale barn.  Not only were they able to get out of school, they were paid $1.25 for doing so.

In 1948 Gene graduated from Miller High School and later served as a Private First Class in the US ARMY at Camp Roberts California.  He was honorably discharged in 1954.

Gene married Dessie Evelyn Fanning on Sept 8, 1954 in St Lawrence, South Dakota.  Gene and Dessie lived in St Lawrence, SD, Mossy Rock, WA, Fort Collins, CO and ultimately settled in Miller, SD.  While in Miller, their family grew to include six sons and one daughter. 

Gene learned the carpentry trade by working as an apprentice to his step father, Frank Conan.  He also worked for Wilson’s RediMix and Cliff Boldt Construction.  He later went on to start Price and Sons Construction where all his sons, son-in-law and many nephews were employed.  He operated Price & Sons Construction for over 30 years and worked on hundreds of projects in the Miller area.

He is survived by his wife, Dessie, Miller; sons: Dana (Kim), Mitchell, Bradley (Amanda), Box Elder, Craig (Dawn), Miller, Shane (Ronda), Huron, Chris (Kathy), Box Elder and Brian (Lynda), Kimball; daughter, Gina (Mike) Ortmeier, Miller; brother, Roy (Dorothy) Price, Fort Collins Colorado, brother-in-law, Bernie Coss, Miller; sister-in-law, Irene Fanning, Miller; 27 grandchildren; 3 great grandchildren and many other relatives.

He is preceded in death by his mother, Sylvia, step-father, Frank, mother and father-in-law, Jessie and John Fanning; brothers and sisters-in-law: Vince, Bub, Cleo, Loraine, Nadine, Leone, Jack, Ann, Donna, Gary and Larry.

Gene was a good man; a very hard worker who provided for his family.  Gene blessed his family with humor, a hard work ethic, and countless family memories.

Reck Funeral Home of Miller has been entrusted with Gene’s arrangements.