Born April 20, 1935, in Fallon, Nev., Elbert passed away Jan. 2, 2026, in Fallon.
Elbert graduated from Churchill County High School in 1953. Except for two years while he served as a radar and radio operator in the U.S. Army, he lived his entire life in Fallon. When he separated from the Army, he purchased a piece of desert land that he leveled and proved up on to farm for the next 47 years. In 1968, Elbert and his wife Marilyn built a dairy barn with corrals on their farm to expand their Jersey cow herd, establishing Sandblow Jerseys. In 1996, they sold the dairy and continued to farm. In 2004, they subdivided into a greenbelt development and retired to a 20-acre parcel on the corner of the original farm.
He was involved in 4-H as a youngster and attended National 4-H Congress in 1953 for a safety project. Later in life, he was involved in the Churchill County Farm Bureau, the American Jersey Cattle Club and served on the TCID Board. Even after retirement, he served on the Lahontan Conservation District. He loved agriculture and advocated for it throughout his lifetime.
In 1960, he met the love of his life, Marilyn, in the University Singers class at the University of Nevada, Reno. Later that year, they married and over the next six years had four children. As much as he loved the farm and dairy, he loved his family more. He taught his children to work hard and appreciate nature. He took them camping, canoeing, picking gooseberries and chokecherries at the Dens, and spent many hours with them working around the farm and dairy.
After retiring from the dairy, he and Marilyn took many trips exploring Nevada with friends in their “Over the Hill Gang.” He loved family history, along with Fallon and Nevada history, and relished time at the Churchill County Museum.
He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Marilyn; his four children, Gary (Kathy) Mills, Todd (Charlie) Mills, Renee (Chris) Brant and Julie (Dan) Wolf; grandchildren Chase Mills, Daphne Gurley, Allison Mills, Brianna Mills, Kyle Mills, Samantha Gerry, Sierra Gerry, Spencer Gerry, Seth Gerry, Ashley Humphries and Lena Wolf; 10 great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.
A celebration of life will be held at The Gardens at 1 p.m. Jan. 18, 2026. In lieu of flowers, Elbert would have loved donations to the Churchill County Museum to help record the community’s history.
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