City Council member Joshua Miller dead at 32

Joshua Miller, a member of Havre City Council and the Hill County Weed and Mosquito District, died at the age of 32 Sunday.

"This has been an incredibly hard loss, not just for the family, but for all that knew him," said Jennifer Tilleman, Miller's sister. "Whether or not people agreed with him, there was always an underlying respect and admiration for his strength and character. I'm afraid Josh is irreplaceable, he's left enormous shoes to fill. Our hearts are heavy."

See a full obituary on Page A5.

Tilleman said it's difficult to express all that her brother was and all he accomplished for the community, whether that was as a member of the city council, a member of the Mosquito Control District, or as a man.

"He was very passionate about representing those that elected him," she said. "He had no problem standing up for what he believed the people wanted; it was always about them."

She said her brother led by example and encouraged people to disagree, opening doors for deeper conversation and more collaborative problem solving.

"He always had a common-sense approach to solving problems, and was always passionate about doing things the right way instead of sweeping issues under the rug," she said.

Tilleman said her brother was a conduit for the concerns of citizens inside and outside of his district and was glad to see someone that was willing to have difficult and uncomfortable conversations to solve a problem.

"Josh was especially passionate about finding a resolution for the health issues that our local firemen and EMTs were facing due to building contaminants," she said. "As a former police officer and EMT himself, Josh had much respect and a deep appreciation for all that these men do for our community. He felt it was right that we reciprocate and support them."

Havre Mayor Doug Kaercher said the city has suffered a great loss.

"The city of Havre is shocked and saddened," Kaercher said. "Our thoughts are with his family during this unexpected time of hardship."

He said he's not really sure he can say much more than that, as the death of such a young man still has himself and the city in a state of shock.

Miller was born in February of 1991, graduated from Havre High School in 2009 and received a degree in criminal justice from Dawson Community College in 2015 before serving as a police officer in Cut Bank.

He eventually had to quit due to health issues and worked as an emergency medical technician and as part of Benefis Hospital's Mercy Flight crews.

He also worked for KRTV television as a weatherman and was a storm spotter for the National Weather Service.

Since 2016, he had been working at the Hill County Mosquito Control District under its supervisor Terry Turner, who said Tuesday that his loss is devastating.

Turner said everyone there is still in shock so see someone that young die.

On a professional level, he said, Miller's drone program had revolutionized how their district operated, not only making their work more efficient but also safer.

He said the degree to which his loss will set the department back is evidence of just how valuable he was to the area.

"You can't replace someone with that kind of talent," he said.

Turner said that, without Miller, the operations of the department are going to be significantly stymied, so he asked people to be patient as they reorganize.

See more in future editions of the Havre Daily News.

Miller is preceded in death by his father, Doug Effinger; brother, Daniel Larson; grandparents, Richard and Clara Larson; uncle, Bill Fisher; and cousins, Andrew Fisher and Shane Nichols.

He is survived by fianceé Cameo MacLennan; sister, Jennifer (Larry) Tilleman; aunt, Fran Larson, niece, Mallory Schaub; nephew, Royce Schaub, and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins.