Our condolences to the McMillin family and the Martin Volunteer Fire Department of South Dakota. Assistant Chief Roger McMillin, 44, a 10 year veteran with the Martin Volunteer Fire Department died Tuesday September 10, 2002. Roger was working at the Mueller's Feed Mill where a worker had climbed into an empty 4,000 gallon molasses vat to clean it and was overcome. Roger was one of the first rescuers on the scene and climbed into the vat only to be overcome by toxic fumes later determined to be hydrogen sulfide. Neither of the two men were able to be revived and were later pronounced dead at Bennett County Community Hospital. The feed mill had been cleaning the vat this way for 40 years. This was the first incident during a cleaning and is under investigation.

     Roger was also a volunteer for local EMS for 10 years. He was also a past chief of the Martin Volunteer Fire Department. He started and was in charge of the departments junior firefighting program. Both of his sons, Nathan and Monty, were junior members. Roger's oldest son Nathan had recently turned 18 and become a full firefighter and was one of the rescuers to respond to the incident.

     Our brother Roger leaves behind a wife Cindy, sons Nathan and Monty, and daughters Monica and Grace. Services for Roger were held Saturday September 14, 2002 at Old Legion Auditorium, with burial at Martin Community Cemetery.