Obituary of Barbara Jo Miller

Barbara Jo (Sullivan) Miller, age 63, gained her angel wings Saturday, March 26, 2022, after a four-year health battle.

A celebration of life will take place Sunday, May 15, 2022 at the Lester Prairie City Hall from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., followed by Bingo and her favorite band at Longhorn’s Bar (around the corner from city hall).

As a family we would like to show our gratitude and appreciation to the Lester Prairie Police Department, as well as the fire departments of Lester Prairie and Winsted; you men and women became like family and spent much time lovingly assisting Barb in each one of those 911 calls. She was eternally grateful to you all.

Memorials are preferred in lieu of flowers.

Barb dedicated her life to caring for others. She made sure anyone she loved didn’t go without. She loved all things thrifty, whether it was a garage sale, the Goodwill, or a local flea market. Holidays were her favorite, because it allowed her to decorate and spend time with those she loved.

Barb was the daughter of Irwin and Geraldine Sullivan. She was born Feb. 26, 1959, in Minneapolis and raised in Brooklyn Park, where she went to school.

In 1981, Barb had her own children, Tami and Adam Hartung, with (ex-husband Wayne Hartung).

Barb spent much of her time in Excelsior, MN where she met the love of her life, Joel Wells Miller, whom she married Oct. 22, 1994. They spent years making memories in Excelsior before moving to Lester Prairie, MN, where they would make their final home of 15-plus years.

In 2006 and 2008 Barb gained one of her most cherished titles, grandma, aka “Nana” to her granddaughters, Bria and Elli Hartung. They brought endless joy to Barb, and she made sure that they knew she “loved them to the moon and back.”

Barb spent the last 10 years of her life caring for her mother, who was fighting cancer. A little over a year after her mom lost her battle to cancer in 2018, Barb would begin her own battle with cancer in March 2019

Much like Barb did for her mom, Barb's daughter, Tami, stepped up to care for Barb during her journey and fight with cancer until March 26, 2022, when Barb left this life to go be reunited with her mother, father, and her dog, Summer.

Barb is survived by her loving husband, Joel Miller of Lester Prairie; daughter, Tami Hartung (Phil St. Sauver); children, Dillon, William, Robert St. Sauver) of Norwood Young America, MN; son, Adam Hartung (Mandy Hartung), children, Bria and Elli Hartung) of Monticello, MN; sisters, Susan Walden (Jim Bogut ) of Prescott, WI, Debbie Anderson (Ken Anderson) of Foley, AL, Nancy Mannstedt (Brad Mannstedt) of LaCrosse, WI; brother, Michael Sullivan (Sandy Sullivan); and countless cousins, neices, nephews, and friends.