Jacqueline Raye Shaeffer Miller

Jacqueline Raye Shaeffer Miller of Beaver Lake, Plattsmouth, Nebraska, passed from our lives on December 3, 2022, at Brookestone Meadows in Omaha, Nebraska. We so dearly loved her as a loving wife, mother, sister, daughter, close family member, and friend -- but most of all as a cherished soul who brightened our lives and lifted our spirits.

Known as Jacque by family and friends, she was born in Des Moines on November 26, 1942, as the eldest child of Benjamin F. and Evgenia Shaeffer. She was raised in Des Moines, attending Nash Elementary and Washington Irving Junior High schools, graduating with a small mid-term class of 26 from North High School in Des Moines in August 1960. She always giggled and was flattered when even strangers would comment on how much she resembled the celebrity Debbie Reynolds. Along with these comments almost always came her inevitable happy humming of some once-popular Reynolds song.

Jacque married William H. (Bill) Miller on February 10, 1963, at University Christian Church in Des Moines. Their union was blessed with three children: Debra Renee (who we tragically lost in 1967), Brent William and Darci Renee, both happy and well with children of their own.

She was passionate, energetic and contented both inside and outside the home, having worked at Traveler's Insurance, Des Moines Register & Tribune newspaper, and Younker's Department Store. She and Bill met while both were working at the newspaper. While Bill was in school in Iowa City, Jacque worked as a long-distance telephone operator, with a proud claim-to-fame for handling a call from the actor Don Ameche to his mother.

Nurturing her family was Jacque's highest priority. She was an active den mother to Darci's Girl Scouts and Brent's Boy Scouts, team mother and concession manager for boys' little league, girls' soccer coach for several years and dance mom, too. Jacque's active commitments to family activities gave her the most joy, including the many summer days spent at Bill's parents' summer home near the south shore of Clear Lake in northern Iowa -- boating, swimming and forever washing the cabin's many windows with her mother-in-law Helen.

With Bill's career promotion with AT&T came a move from Urbandale, Iowa, to Millard (Omaha), Nebraska, where they lived for several years before moving once again to another lake adventure. This time, they moved to the much-loved Beaver Lake, Nebraska, a few miles south of Omaha, for more boating, swimming and forever washing their lovely home's many windows. This was Jacque and Bill's last home together.

Among those left to honor Jacque's memory are her husband of nearly 60 years, Bill; son Brent Miller (his wife Debra) of Menasha, WI, their children Lauren Miller of Davenport, IA, and Zachary Miller of Madison, WI; daughter Darci Livingston (husband Mark) of Elkhorn, NE, and their daughter Ashtyn Livingston of Los Angeles, CA; sister Janet Sheehy her son Steven Sheehy both of West Des Moines, IA; brother John Shaeffer (his wife Lisa) of DeSoto, WI, their daughters Alice Crabb of Ankeny, IA, Sarah Tyrrell of Sunderland, MA, and Kathryn Sturges of Des Moines, IA; brother-in-law Richard Miller (his wife Lynn) of West Des Moines, IA, their son Christopher Miller of Urbandale, IA, and their daughter Megan Smith of Waukee, IA; brother-in-law Thomas Miller (his wife Leslie) of Waukee, IA, their daughters Shelley Shah of Clive, IA, and Jenna Atwood of Waukee, IA.

Those loved ones previously leaving this earth include Jacque's parents Benjamin F. and Evgenia Shaeffer, her daughter Debra Renee Miller, father-in-law Harold Miller, mother-in-law Helen Miller-Dickerson, step-father-in-law Lewis Dickerson, nephew Gantry Miller, and niece Rebecca Shaeffer.

A Life Remembrance for Jacque will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday, February 11, 2023, at Hamilton's on Westown Parkway, 3601 Westown Parkway, West Des Moines, Iowa. A graveside gathering will follow at Glendale Cemetery at 4909 University Avenue in Des Moines, Iowa.

Print