Leland J Cain

Leland Cain, 82, of Miller, passed away Tuesday, November 25, 2025, at the Avera Hand County Memorial Hospital, Miller, as a result of a vehicle accident.

Funeral Mass will be 10:30 a.m., Monday, December 1, 2025, at St. Ann’s Catholic Church, Miller, with Father John Short, celebrant. Burial will follow at G.A.R. Cemetery, Miller. Visitation will be from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m., Sunday, November 30, 2025, at Reck Funeral Home, Miller.

Leland was born February 5th, 1943, to Charles and Margaret (Nielsen) Cain in Miller, SD. Although he was born in Miller, Leland was raised in Buffalo County on the same farm homestead his father was raised on before him. He had a passion for farming and ranching, and especially his black Angus herd of cows and calves.

The second eldest of nine children, Leland attended grade school at Wide Awake Country School, his freshman and sophomore years at Gann Valley High School, and graduated from SDSU School of Agriculture in 1961. After graduating, Lee worked on the family farm while also working at Big Bend Dam and operating a well drilling business.

In the mid 60’s, well into the 70’s, Lee raced a #14 Ford Edsel and later a #21 Ford Turino 427 stock car with great success. He started flying in 1966 because he wanted to start attending NASCAR races, and in 1970, purchased a building at the Miller Municipal Airport, establishing Cain Aero, an aerial crop spraying and flight charter service. He had a commercial, multiengine, and flight instructor license, and in 1977, he became an Airframe & Powerplant Mechanic and eventually earned an Inspection Authorization Certificate. At one time, he owned as many as 30 airplanes and performed over 39 annual inspections. He had over 25,000 total flying hours with over 15,000 hours alone in an Ag Cat, his trademark yellow cropdusting biplane. Lee continued to support local racing and sponsored several drivers through Cain Aero.

On January 27, 1978, Leland married Beverly Hall in Buffalo County at St. Duncan’s Catholic Church, which his father had helped build. They resided in Miller, where Beverly worked at the Hand Country Memorial Hospital as a Registered Nurse. They went on to have four sons: Michael, Kevin, Brian, and Ryan Cain.

He gave first airplane rides to many children, with five of them going on to become commercial airline pilots. In 1973, he was once asked to fly an emergency medical transport from Miller to Rapid City, and in the 1990’s he was authorized by the state of South Dakota to use his aircraft to help control the blackbird overpopulation within a 75 mile radius of Miller. He had flown to 46 of the lower 48 US States, with the exception of Vermont and Maine. He flew to several Canadian Providences, with numerous flying adventures from Alaska’s North Slope clear to Alaska’s Western Edge, stopping at many local airports in between.

He was a member of St. Ann’s Catholic Church and the Knights of Columbus, the Miller Boosters Club, and the Central Plains Arts Council, and a past member of the South Dakota Aviation Association and the National Agriculture Aviation Association.

He is survived by his wife, Beverly; sons: Michael (Erin), Kevin, Brian (Lindsey), and Ryan (Teresa); grandchildren: Gavin, Hudson, Braxten, Conrad, Madox, Declan, Grace, Ethan, Emma, Evan, and Gabby Cain; step grandchildren: Mackenzie Cain, Jeramy (Kyra) Gibbs, and Jordan Gibbs; step great granddaughter, Lily Gibbs; brothers: Raymond (Becky) and Gerald (Julie) Cain; sisters: Ellen Speck, Doris Cain, Lucille Feenstra, and Deanna Cain; sister-in-law, Bonnie Hall; and brother-in-law, Gary Gulbranson; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; in-laws; brother, Ronald Cain; sister, Alice Gulbranson; brother-in-law, Doug Feenstra; brother-in-law, Marvin Speck; and sister-in-law, Julie Cain.

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