Roy R. Milliken, age 88, of Huron, passed away Tuesday, May 29, 2018, at the SunQuest Health Care Center. His funeral service was held at 10:00 AM, Monday, June 4th, at the Kuhler Funeral Home. Burial was Tuesday, June 5th in the Black Hills National Cemetery, Sturgis.
Memorials may be directed to the Transportation Fund at Yelduz Shrine or the Grace Episcopal Church.
Roy Robert Milliken was born March 30, 1930, along with his twin brother, Ray Edger, Jr. to Ray Edger and Alice (Wickman) Milliken at Martin, South Dakota. They grew up in Bennett County and Martin. In 1933, their father was appointed Superintendent of Custer State Park, the family moved to the Game Lodge in the Black Hills while Mount Rushmore was being built. The boys started school at the Game Lodge, returning to Martin in the fall of 1936. They graduated from Bennett County High School in 1949.
Roy attended college at Black Hills Teachers College at Spearfish, South Dakota. In February of 1951, he enlisted in the United States Army Airborne and was sent to Fort Campbell, Kentucky, where he took his basic training, graduating on his 21st birthday. He went to jump school training at Fort Benning, Georgia, graduating in 1951. He was sent from there to Korea. Roy was in the "E" Company of the 187th RCT in Japan and Korea for three years. He spent 27 months overseas making multiple jumps in Korea. He was in the Kumba Valley and Koje Doe POW prison camp riot break up. In October of 1953, he returned to the United States and was honorably discharged from Fort Carson, Colorado. In February 1954, he returned to Martin.
Roy and Marjy Gwynn, daughter of Charles and Faye (Kime) Gwynn of Cody, Nebraska, were married December 31, 1955, at Cody. Their first home was at Stevens Point, Wisconsin, where Roy was in college. He graduated from Chadron State at Chadron, Nebraska in 1959. His first job after graduating was with the Soil Conservation Service at Wall, South Dakota. Roy was a Real Estate Appraiser and worked with the Soil Conservation Service, Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife. He semi-retired September 1981; and was an Independent Appraiser for the FHA until he retired due to poor health in 1996. They lived in Wisconsin, South Dakota, Nebraska, Nevada, Idaho and New Mexico, before moving to Huron in 1977. In 2008, Roy was honored by the South Dakota Funeral Directors Association as a 50-year licensed Funeral Director. He helped with services at the Kuhler Funeral Home in Huron and also helped his twin brother, Ray, at the Milliken Funeral Home in Mitchell.
Roy enjoyed his children, grandchildren, and any other children around. He was a "people person" and never met a stranger.He was always willing to lend a helping hand. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, family camping and traveling.
Roy was a member of the Episcopal Church and held various offices. He was also a member of the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled Veterans, Masonic Lodge, Yankton Consistory, Yelduz Shrine, James Valley Shrine Club, James Valley Shrine Motor Corp and was a driver for the Shrine Road Runners taking children and their parents to the Shriners Hospitals for Children.
Roy was preceded in death by his parents and twin brother, Ray in 1987.
He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Marjy of Huron; their three children, Gwynne McDonald of Huron, Debbie and John Oliver of Abilene, Texas and Ross and Rhonda Milliken of Gillette, Wyoming. They have four grandchildren, Dannielle and Jory Spain, Jennifer Milliken, Jamie and Kelly Jo Milliken and Heather and Garrett Reede; five great-grandchildren, Jade, Carson and Logan Spain and Emily and Ella Reede; and several nieces and nephews.