Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years

Jessica Jeanne Miller

Jessica Jeanne Miller, age 39, slipped peacefully away to be with the angels on March 6th, 2023. After a long battle with cancer, she gave up the fight while wrapped in her mother's loving arms and with her children by her side. There is no more pain.

Jessica was born in San Jose, California, on June 11, 1983, to Donna and Michael Kaysen. Her parents divorced when she was three. Jessica moved with her mother to Idaho where she lived in the small town of Bruneau until she graduated from Rimrock High School in 2001 then went off to college in Pocatello, ID.

Despite being born as an only child, Jessica grew up with step-sisters, a step-brother, nieces, nephews, and lots of friends that were as close as siblings, and even extra parent figures! She also remained close to her California grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, step-sister, and step-mom.

Living in Bruneau was like having a big extended family. When Jessica was diagnosed with a childhood cancer in 1992 that family helped us in so many supportive ways. It was a very aggressive cancer that she had and caused her to spend a lot of time in the hospital. The hospital staff, volunteers, and other kids with cancer, became yet another big family for us. Thirty years later and they are all still like family.

Jessica was amazingly tough. She fought off the original cancer with chemo and radiation, then again when it showed up in her lungs, ignored the doctors that gave her just 3 to 4 months to live, endured surgery on both lungs, and toughed out a bone marrow transplant. She became cancer-free with her last chemo treatment on October 31, 1995. She celebrated this day like a birthday every year afterwards. This was miracle number one.

The doctors told her she would never have children due to all the treatment that her body had suffered. Her daughter Jillian was born in 2005 making miracle number two, and her son Bryce was born in 2008 making miracle number 3! Jessica and her husband Evan Miller now had the perfect family; a girl, a boy, and a golden retriever! Life was good. Their little family spent time with horses, they went camping, they just had fun.

Jessica was well-liked wherever she went and developed long-lasting friendships with her co-workers from Sav-Mor Drug and Marathon Cheese. Her quick wit, sarcasm, and knowledge of song lyrics and trivia, coupled with her great sense of humor, endeared her to many people. She told us we would always be able to find her in the music.

Jessica had many pastimes that she enjoyed; gardening, fishing, shooting, horseback riding, skiing, camping, game nights with the kids, jigsaw puzzles, baking cookies, and the simple joy of reading a good book. She took great pride in always having the perfect meme. She also enjoyed astronomy, having volunteered at the observatory out at Bruneau Dunes State Park where she worked as a kid.

Then the dreaded cancer came back. At this time her marital relationship was not going well and she chose to move her children to Ten Sleep, Wyoming, where she would have the help of her mother. What she didn't figure on was all the community help she would be given. She loved the community, the landscape, the wildlife, and especially the dramatic skies! She so wanted to see more of Wyoming and go camping with her kids this summer.

Jessica was preceded in death by too many friends with cancer, her Grandmama and Papa Kaysen, Grandpa and Grandma Cook, Grandpa Ambrose, Grand Nephew Trevan Griffin, and special friend Nick Aug.

She is survived by her mother Donna Robinson (Mike), daughter Jillian Miller, and son Bryce Miller. Father Michael Kaysen. Honorary Father Ken Eden. Step-mother Cheri Campbell. Step-sisters Christy Smith (Coda), Kristina Miller (Bill), Jeanne Miller (Doug), and Step-brothers Andy (Tracey) Miller, Emmett Robinson (Kendall), and Galen Robinson. Uncle Dale (Rochelle) and cousins Noah, Lucas, and Andrew. Aunt Darla (Jerry) and cousins Drew, Stuart, and Mitchell. Uncle Ken (Peg) and cousins Tommy and Jenna. Great Uncle Norm Deslandes. Great Aunt Lucy Lapan (Randy) and cousins Michael and Ashley. Nieces Kiana (Dallion) Griffin, Kylie (Jake) Egusquiza, and Kelsi Bradshaw (son Silas), Sarah Miller (Jaden), Chloe Shelley, Isabella Miller, and Shelby Smith. Nephews Eric Fisher, Brayden Miller, and Logan Smith.

Donations can be made to an account set up for her children at Big Horn Federal, Ten Sleep Ambulance Service, Mountain View Assembly of God Church in Ten Sleep, Bruneau Boosters in Bruneau Idaho, or one of your own choosing.

A Memorial Service will be held 11:00 am Saturday, March 25, 2023 at Mountain View Assembly of God, Ten Sleep, Wyoming. Arrangements have been entrusted to Veile Mortuary.

 
 
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