Obituary: Miland, Delbert Ernest
Age 88
His body decided it was time to go to a better place, and be released from his pain, to heaven.
His family was with him.
Born February 22, 1926 to Otto M. Miland and Lena Hazel Hafer Miland, at the family home in East Selah, WA, he was one of eight children.
Delbert served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1943 to be honorably discharged in 1946 as rank of Corporal Rifleman 745.
He came home to become a truck driver of hops in Grandview, WA, and other odd jobs until he was employed by George Miller in Belmont, WA, where he met a young lady named Phyllis Rae Fish.
George Miller was her brother-in-law (Katherine).
Delbert and Phyllis were married May 18, 1957, in Oakesdale, WA and lived there until moving to Colfax, WA in February 2010. to the Courtyard Assisted Living.
They had three children, Kitty Lathleen Woods (Fred), Kari Dee Ellis (Chris), D. Keith Miland (Patty).
Delbert and Phyllis farmed land south of Oakesdale, Belmont and Colfax areas for many years, raised cattle and hogs.
He worked for fertilizer companies, Palouse Producers and Nucem.
He also worked for JE Love Manufacturing Co., building sprayer machines and taking them to Canada.
Delbert was City Council member for the Oakesdale Community, a 25 year board member of the Oakesdale Cemetery instrumental in the upgrading of the water system, putting in a new pump house and storage shed, sprinkler system, shrubs along the road, relocation of new entry into the cemetery, paving that road, putting up the flag pole that looks over town and adding Maple trees along the drive.
He was always very proud of all the work done to make it a very tranquil place for your loved ones to be in.
He joined the Oakesdale Masonic Lodge #55 in 1975 and was a lifetime member.
A member of the El Katif Shrine and Scottish Rite in 1982, and took pride in Shriner’s Hospital for Children in Spokane, helping to transport children to and from their doctor appointments.
He worked countless hours on the District Basketball Programs for Schools, Sponsor’s from Whitman and Asotin County’s, then selling them at games, for the profits to go to the Shriners Children’s Hospital in Spokane.
He rode motorcycles in many community parades for the Shriners; but his true passion was fishing with his old buddies, many memories of friends now long since passed…some of his best stories are from those days.
He learned to fly airplanes.
He always enjoyed taking his family up for a Sunday flight or whenever he just wanted to go up.
He purchased an Air Coupe and restored it with some friends.
He just loved that plane.
He was preceded in death by his father and mother; three brothers: Theodore, Marshall and Wayne; two sisters: Geraldine and Helen.
And he has eleven grandsons; three granddaughters; eleven great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.
He will be cremated and services will be announced later for a spring burial at the Washington Veterans Cemetery, in Medical Lake.
The family asked that instead of flowers, please send donations to the Oakesdale Cemetery District, or to the Shriner’s Children’s Hospital in Spokane.