The Miller Families of Clay County, Iowa

ALBERT W. MILLER.

It is an important public duty and honor to perpetuate as far as possible the memory of an eminent citizen — one who by his blameless and honorable life and distinguished career reflected credit upon his city and state. Through such memorials as this at hand the individual and the character of his services are kept in remembrance and the importance of those services acknowledged. His example therefore becomes an object lesson to those who follow him. The history of Albert W. Miller is indeed one worthy of record, for he stood as a high type of American manhood and chivalry, and always regarded his word given or an engagement made as a sacred obligation. He felt that a man should always use his advantages to the best of his ability, and the years gave substantial proof of his worth in every relation where he was found. He was loyal in his friendships and family duties were to him most sacred. In the paternal line Albert W. Miller is of German lineage. His grandparents were Martin and Susan (Snook) Miller. The former was born in Frederick City, Maryland, and came of a family of German origin. Both he and his wife were well advanced in years when called to their final rest, Mrs. Miller, who survived her husband for some time, being about ninety years of age at her demise. They had a large family, namely: Charlotte, William, George. Martin, Ezra, Louis. Nathan, Simon, Adam, Elizabeth, Susan and Sophia.

Of this family William Miller, the eldest son, was born in Maryland, and after acquiring his education began learning the miller's trade at Eakles Mills, Maryland. Subsequently he conducted a mill of his own at Rohrersville, and continued a resident of his native state until about 1880, when he removed westward to Iowa and purchased a farm of one hundred and twenty acres three miles east of Spencer. A few years later he left the farm and removed to Spencer, where he died in August, 1906, at the age of eighty-six years. His wife passed away in 1902 at the age of seventy-four years. She bore the maiden name of Rebecca. Clapper, and was also a native of Maryland. Her father, the Rev. John Clapper, was born in that state and became a minister of the United Brethren church. He married a Miss Longman and they had several children, Elizabeth, Leah, Simeon, William, John and George. Unto Mr. and Mrs. William Miller were born a daughter and seven sons: Celia, the wife of Aaron Dovenberger; Albert W., of this review; John; Henry, of Denver, Colorado; Hilrey J., of Lexington, Kentucky; Charles, of Hagerstown, Maryland; Otho, who died at Leeds City, South Dakota; and Louis S., who was killed in a railroad wreck at Everly, Iowa.

There was much in the life record of Albert W. Miller which commended him to the confidence and good will and high regard of those with whom he came in contact, and at his death he left a record that is well worthy of emulation. He was born at Keedysville, Maryland, March 2, 1847, ' was there reared to manhood and in its schools acquired his early education, although he afterward had the benefit of instruction in Eastman's Business College of New York, from which he was graduated in due course of time. In seeking a home in the middle west he located at Sioux City, Iowa, but soon afterward removed to Peterson, in Clay county, where he operated a saw mill and flour mill for about a year. In 1870 he removed to Spencer and became interested with Mr. Marcellus in the ownership of a flour mill, being connected with the enterprise until 1873. then established a private bank in Spencer, which was the first institution of this character in Clay county. He continued as its president until he sold out and started the First National Bank, when he became president of the latter and so continued until his demise. He was a man of strong business qualifications, manifesting keen sagacity in the solution of intricate business problems, and at all times carefully utilizing his opportunities so that no advantages were neglected. He was. moreover, a man of unquestioned business probity, ever mindful of his obligations and in no way overreaching another in a business transaction. Justice and truth were always characteristics of his business life and made his name an honored one.

On the 29th of October, 1872, Mr. Miller wedded Miss Emma LaMar, who was born in Burkittsville, Maryland, a daughter of Captain William B. and Elizabeth ( Harley) LaMar, who were also natives of Maryland., Her father conducted a steam tannery at Burkittsville, devoting much of his life to that pursuit. He was a son of Thomas and Mary (Willard) LaMar, who were likewise born in Maryland and in that state Thomas LaMar owned and conducted a large plantation. His wife f'ied when past middle life, while he lived to the remarkable old age of more than ninety years. Their children were John, Benoni, William, Mary. Elizabeth, Laura, Ellen and Rebecca. The maternal grandparents of Mrs. Miller were Joshua and Elizabeth (Whiteneck) Harley. The former, a native of England, became a merchant and in addition to conducting a store he also owned a large plantation at Burkittsville, Marvland. Both he and his wife reached old age and they reared a family of five sons and four daughters, William, Otho. Thomas, Joshua, Mahlon, Elizabeth, Matilda. Sophia and Eliza.

William LaMar, the father of Mrs. Miller, served as a captain in the Mexican war. He remained an active business man of Burkittsville during the greater part of his life and there passed away in 1872, at the age of sixty-two years. His wife survived him until 1880 and passed away at the age of seventy-three years. They were the parents of eight children, Thomas; Eliza; Lewis, deceased; Marene; Robert, deceased; William; Asa, deceased; and Emma, the wife of our subject.

The home of Mr. and Mrs. Miller was blessed with eight children, three of whom died in childhood. Laura became the wife of J. R. Gilbreath, whose father wrote the first history of Clay county. They now reside at Mandan, North Dakota, and they have one son, Victor LaMar. Mrs. Gilbreath is a graduate of the Kee-Marr College at Hagerstown, Maryland. Albert, who is a graduate of Eastman's Business College, is living at home with his mother. Jessie is the wife of Nicholas Leysbeth, consul from Belgium to Germany, and they make their home at Cologxie. Mrs. Leysbeth is a graduate of Lake Forest (Illinois) College and by her marriage has become the mother of one son, Louis. Emma, who is a graduate of St. Catherine's College at Davenport, Iowa, is now attending an art school at Chicago. Bessie, who complete the family, is a high school student in Spencer.

The death of the husband and father occurred December 18, 1892, when he had reached the age of fort-five years and nine months. He was reared in the faith of the United Brethren church, but afterward became a charter member of the Congregational church, as did his wife, who yet belongs to that denomination. He served his country as a soldier of the Civil war, becoming a member of Company B in a regiment of Maryland Volunteer Infantry. His political allegiance was given to the republican party, but the honors and emoluments of office had no attraction for him, as he preferred always to concentrate his energies upon his business affairs, and by his intelligently directed effort achieved success that enabled him to leave his family in very comfortable financial circumstances. His prosperity was ever a means to an end. He was never engrossed in moneymaking to the exclusion of other interests, but he rejoiced that his business advancement permitted him to give his children good opportunities and to minister to the welfare and happiness of his wife. In all things he manifested steadfast purpose and spotless integrity, features to which the splendid civilization of America is indebted, and thus he left the impress of his individuality upon the country in which he iona: resided.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

ALBERT O. MILLER.

Albert O. Miller, one of the enterprising and progressive merchants of Dickens, where he is dealing in agricultural implements and coal, was born in St. Lawrence, New York, November 22, 1859, and is a son of Samuel and Experience CTruesdell) Miller, the former a native of the state of New York and the latter of Canada. The Miller family is of Holland-Dutch descent although the grandfather of our subject was a native of the Empire state. The father. Samuel

A. Miller, was a blacksmith by trade and followed that occupation until after the outbreak of the Civil war when he enlisted in Scott's Nine Hundred and lost his life in battle. His wife passed away in 1869 at the age of fifty-one years. One of their sons, Benjamin F. Miller, enlisted with his father and served for three years as a loyal defender of the Union cause. He was but a youth when he entered the army and he died in 1866 at the early age of nineteen years from the effects of his military experience.

Albert O. Aliller acquired his preliminary education in the public schools of St. Lawrence county, New York, and subsequently pursued a course in the state normal school. After leaving that institution he engaged in teaching for one term in his native state and in the fall of 1878 came to Clay county. Iowa, locating on the present site of Dickens. In this county he taught eighteen terms of school in six different school districts and proved an able educator, imparting, readily and clearly to others the knowledge that he had acquired. He was thus active in promoting the early intellectual development of his locality. He afterward purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land in Sioux township and turned his attention to farming, continuing the work of the fields until 1902 when he disposed of his farm and removed to Dickens, where he was employed by the firm of Somers Brothers for a brief period. He afterward removed to the state of Washington where he remained for a year and a half when he returned to Dickens and established his present business as a dealer in agricultural implements and coal. He has succeeded in building up a gratifying trade and now has a liberal patronage which makes his business a profitable one.

On the 30th of March, 1882, 'Sir. Miller was united in marriage to Miss Bertha I. Stone who was born in '"vermont, September 11, 1851, and is a daughter of Horace P. and Abigail V. (Williams) Stone. Her parents were also New England people. Her father was born in Maine and in early life learned the carpenter's trade which he followed in the east. At the time of the Civil war he responded to the country's call for aid. going to the front with the Vermont regiment and doing active and valorous duty in defense of the stars and stripes. During the early girlhood of his daughter, Mrs. Miller, he came to the middle west with his family and homesteaded a tract of land in Sioux township. Clay county, Iowa. With characteristic energy he began the development of a farm, transforming the wild land into rich and fertile fields which he successfully cultivated until about fifteen years ago when he retired 'and removed to Dickens, where his death occurred in June. 1907. His wife, a native of Vermont, is a descendant of Roger Williams, the apostle of freedom of New" England days. She still survives her husband and makes her home in Dickens. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Aliller have been born four children. Ednnmd, born May 8, 1885, is now engaged in farming in central Montana near the town of Denton. He married Elizabeth Haulman and they have a daughter, Jessie. Nellie, born September 13, 1890. Arthur, born February 13, 1892, and Jessie, born October 5, 1899, are all at home. Mr. and Mrs. Miller are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, in which he is serving as trustee and in the work of the church they are actively and helpfully interested. Mr. Miller gives his political support to the republican party and is at present officiating as township clerk. In all matters relative to the progress and improvement of the county he is interested and gives his support to many measures for the public good. As a business man he is thoroughly reliable and his honesty in all business dealings is one of the factors of his substantial success. He possesses, moreover, good business tact and judgment and his industry and perseverance have gained him prominence in the commercial circles of the town.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

PAUL M. A/HLLER.

Paul M. Miller, who is acting as delivery agent for the Adams Express Company and is also assistant at the Minneapolis & St. Louis depot, was identified with agricultural interests, but some time since retired from active farm operations. He was born in Coshocton county, Ohio, June 4, 1854, and in tracing back his ancestry it is found that the family is of German lineage. George Miller, the grandfather, was born in Pennsylvania and became a farmer and teamster. Unto him and his wife, both of whom died when past middle life, were born six children, Paul, Eliza, Mary, Matilda, John and David.

Paul Miller, the father of our subject, was likewise a native of the Keystone state, and in early manhood became a school teacher, devoting some time to educational work. He also followed carpentry and subsequently became a farmer. In 1855 I removed to Benton county, Iowa, and settled near Shellsburg, where he developed and improved a farm, bringing his land under a high state of cultivation. He died there in September, 1885, at the age of seventy-two years, while his wife survived him until 1890 and also passed away, at the age of seventy-two years. Mrs. Miller bore the maiden name of Catharine Jones. Her birth occurred in Pennsylvania, her parents being James and Barbara.(Walters) Jones, who were also natives of the Keystone state and lived to a good old age. Their children were Catharine, John, Alary, George, Morrow, Phoebe, Emma and Susie. Air. and Mrs. Paul Aliller had a family of twelve children, nine of whom reached adult age, while six are now living: James J., of Waukegan, Illinois; Lucinda AI., the wife of William Sutton of Oklahoma; Hannah M., the widow of Theodore Greenwood of Shellsburg, Iowa; John W., also of Shellsburg; Paul AI., of this review; and Emma M., wife of N. E. Perry of Seattle, Washington. The parents were members of the Presbyterian church and were people of the highest respectability.

Brought to Iowa in his boyhood days, Paul AI. Aliller was reared in Benton county upon the home farm. At that time it was a frontier district in which the work of improvement and progress had scarcely been begun. At the usual age he was sent as a pupil to the district schools and therein mastered the common branches of English learning. Through the vacation periods he assisted in the work of the farm and remained at home until twenty years of age, when he started out in life for himself, working by the month as a farm hand for the first year. He believed that he was capable of doing something better, however, and rented a farm, thus carrying on general agricultural pursuits for ten years. During that time he carefully saved his earnings, and in 1889 he removed to Clay county, where he purchased eighty acres of unimproved land in Gillett Grove township. On this tract he turned the first furrow and as the work of plowing and planting continued his farm took on the appearance of a well developed property, and in the course of years yielded abundant harvests. As his financial resources increased he added to the property until he now owns two hundred and thirty-four acres of finely improved land He lived there until 1905, when he rented his farm to his eldest son and removed to Spencer. Indolence and idleness, however, were totally foreign to his nature and. as he could not be content without some business interests, he entered the employ of the railroad company and the Adams Express Company, and to this work now devotes his energies.

On the 4th of April, 1878, Mr. Miller was united in marriage to Miss Martha E. Greenwood, a daughter of Abraham and Caroline S. (Shuey) Greenwood. Mrs. Miller was born in Carroll county, "Maryland, and her parents were natives of that state. They removed westward to Benton county, Iowa, about 1867. and were well known farming people in that locality. The father died in 1896, at the age of seventy-two years, and the mother was also of the same age when called to her final rest, her death occurring in 1898. In the family there were fifteen children, of whom the following are now living: Mrs. Ada B. Baldwin, ]Mrs. Hannah Parker, Martha E.. Elhanan, Mrs. Adeline Parker, George, Mrs. maggie Kitzmiller, and Mrs. Leavina Kitzmiller.

The home of Ir. and Mrs. Miller has been blessed with four children: Bernice E., who is the wife of Howard E. King, a resident of Spencer, by whom she has two children, Harold D. and Victor; Bernard, who is operating the home farm and married Luella LaRue, by whom he has one son; John, who is operator at the Minneapolis & St. Louis depot in Spencer: and Paul E., who is station agent and operator at Badger, Iowa. The last named married Minnie O. Pinneo and they have two sons, Vernon J. and Donald Pinneo.

Mr. and Mrs. Paul M. Miller are members of the Congregational church, and are interested in its work and active in its, support. Mr. miller votes with the democracy and for three terms has served as trustee of Gillett Giove township. He well deserves the good American title of a self-made man. for he started out in life empty-handed and possessed only of a determination to win prosperity through persistent and honorable eft'ort. Gradually he has advanced tcTward the goal of prosperity and is now the owner of an excellent farm property, while to this he has added the annual income which he derives from his labor.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.