Violet M. Miller was born the daughter of Nicholas and Mary (Sauger) Miller on October 3, 1895, at Oacoma, South Dakota.

As a young girl she moved with her mother and three brothers to a claim near White Clay Creek which is a few miles south of Van Metre on the Bad River.  She started her education at Fort Pierre and graduated from the Powell School before attending Philip High School for one year.  She taught one year at the Kurth Rural School.

Violet was united in marriage to John J. Stroppel on February 17, 1914, at Philip, South Dakota.  They farmed and ranched one mile south of Powell until moving into Midland in August of 1939.  They purchased the Bastian Hotel in Midland.  They dug an artisian well and started giving mineral baths in the hotel.  They operated the Stroppel Hotel until retiring in October of 1949.

They continued to make their home in Midland during the summer and spent the winter months traveling throughout the United States.  Her husband preceded her in death on March 24, 1959, in Brownsville, Texas.

Violet was a member of St. William's Catholic Church and the Church Altar Society.  She served as a member of the Midland School Board, the American Leigon Auxiliary, the Birthday Club, and the Midland Widow's Dinner.  For many years she was the organist at the Powell and Midland Catholic Church until 1949.

Grateful for having shared her life are her two sons, George of Midland, and Galo of West Branch, Iowa; two daughters, Mrs. Bud (Helen) Schofield and Mrs. Ted (Mary) Williams, both of Philip; 31 grandchildren; 35 great-grandchildren; 4 great-great-grandchildren; numerous step-grandchildren and step great-grandchildren; one brother, Vilo Miller of Hidden Valley, Arizona; two half-brothers, Winfield Goodell of Spearfish, and Dwayne Goodell of Virginia City, Nevada; one half-sister, Inez Spilde of Custer, South Dakota; and a host of other relatives and friends.

In addition to her husband, John, she was preceded in death by one son, John R. Stroppel, on July 2, 1983; her parents and step-father, Win Goodell; and two brothers, Lee Miller and Galo Miller.

Mass of Christian Burial
Saturday, October 5, 1985
10:00 a.m.
St. William's Catholic Church
Midland, South Dakota

Celebrant
Father Richard Novotny

Ushers
Bruce Williams - Danny Schofield

Music
Mathilda Dinsmore - Organist
Sonia Nemec, Barb Jones, 
Alice Donovan, and Jill Eckert - Vocalists

Active Pallbearers
Mike Stroppel - Bob Schofield
Vernon Stroppel - Tom Schofield
Mike Williams - Jack Williams

Honorary Pallbearers
All Relatives and Friends in Attendance

Interment
Midland Cemetery
Midland, South Dakota