Governor #29: Walter Dale Miller

Pierre, South Dakota

In office 1993-1995

Walter Miller is the only South Dakota governor to be married while in office, and became the state's oldest governor, age 67, when his predecessor, George S. Mickelson, died when his plane crashed into a farm silo.

Miller came from the sparsely populated western half of the state. He was born on a ranch, grew up on a ranch, and retired to a ranch when his two years as governor ended. Lee Leuning and Sherri Treeby went with the inevitable theme, sculpting Miller in his Western duds, holding his family ranch "seven lazy reverse seven" branding iron while standing in a bed of South Dakota prairie grasses.