Debra Jean Miller

Debra Jean (Kortan) Miller, age 68, of Yankton, South Dakota passed away peacefully on March 26, 2026 with a bluebird at her window and holding her husband’s hand.

We will gather to honor Deb the way she cherished most - together with family and friends for a memorial service at 3:00 PM, on Tuesday, March 31, 2026 at Wintz & Ray Funeral Home in Yankton. We will receive friends one hour prior to the service. Burial will take place at the Garden of Memories Cemetery in Yankton later this spring. In lieu of flowers, those wishing to honor Deb may direct memorials to the family; a meaningful designation will be decided at a later time.

Deb was born on September 27, 1957 to Edward Kortan and Marilyn (Bambas) Kortan in Tyndall, SD. She lived her adult life and raised her family in Yankton, SD. As the oldest of seven siblings, Deb was the ideal first born– always looking after and caring for her brothers and sisters. That love came full circle as her siblings, Doug (Patty) Kortan, Danette (Craig) Little, Danny Kortan, and Darrell (Tiffany) Kortan helped care for her wholeheartedly on her cancer journey.

Deb’s deep devotion to family expanded after marrying Gary Miller, Sr. on April 6, 1974 and starting a family of their own by welcoming two children, Chasity and Gary Jr. Being a wife, mother, and grandmother were her greatest joys. She was very proud of and deeply fulfilled by the life she and Gary built in their fifty-one years of marriage. Their love and commitment to each other inspired everyone around them.

Combining her incredible organizational skills and her love for family gatherings, Deb hosted many celebrations at their home by the lake, where delicious meals were shared and card games were always played. She enjoyed the simple things in life: the scenery around her home, her potted flowers and plants and the hummingbirds that fluttered near the feeders in the backyard. She also enjoyed cooking, baking, and gardening– passions inspired by her late mother, Marylin Kortan and shared with her late son, Gary Miller, Jr.

Despite her quiet nature, Deb always made sure others felt her genuine kindness. She shared that gift with all those she came in contact with at Modern Woodman of America where she worked for the past ten years. She enjoyed her work, and she loved her coworkers who became her closest friends and second family.

Deb was a kind and nurturing wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, sister, aunt, and friend whose gentle, yet amazingly strong presence in their lives will be deeply missed. She is lovingly survived by her husband, Gary Miller, Sr.; daughter and son-in-law, Chasity and Aaron Feser, and her grandchildren, Owen (Lauren) Feser, Aidan (fiancee Emma Swenson) Feser, Elle Feser, and Easton Feser who filled her heart with the deepest joy. Her siblings and many nieces and nephews also filled her life with love and happiness.