The Miller Families of Henry County, Illinois

William Miller, whose demise occurred on the 226. of March, 1902, was closely identified with the interests and upbuilding of Henry county for two-thirds of a century, having taken up his above at Andover in 1836, He was born in Peekskill, New York, on the 31st of March, 1816, his parents being George and Mary Miller. The father followed farming near Peekskill throughout his active business career and passed away there when sixty-seven years of age. The mother was about seventy years old when called to her final rest. In their family were six sons and four daughters, namely: Bernard, William, Charles, John, Andrew, Lewis, Mary, Amanda, Eveline and Lucy.

William. Miller was reared to young manhood on his father's farm near Peekskill and then went to that city to learn the carpenter's trade, with which he was actively identified for a number of years. Subsequently, however, turned his attention to general agricultural pursuits. In 1836 he came to the state of Illinois with a colony that settled at Andover, Henry county, and in 1838 took up his above in Geneseo, where he worked at the carpenter's trade for several years. He afterward purchased a quarter section of raw prairie land in Ed ford township, which he gradually transformed into a fertile and productive farm and on which he erected a substantial frame dwelling and other buildings. At the end of seven years he located in Geneseo and, disposing of his farm, was successfully engaged in the lumber business for a number of years.

On the 22d of December, 1842, Mr. Miller was united in marriage to Miss Harriet T. Cone, whose birth occurred in Victor, New York, December 26, 1826, her parents being Elisha and Eliza (Hill) Cone. The father was born at Wallingford, Connecticut, January 1, 1803, and the mother first opened her eyes to the light of day at Bloomfield, New York, on the 18th of April, 1810. When twenty-one years of age Elisha Cone removed to New York, where he was married two years later. On the 13th of September, 1836, he left Bergen, Genesee county. New York, with a westward bound colony and after a long and tedious journey by wagon arrived at Geneseo, Illinois. His demise occurred on the 6th of September, 1846, while his wife, surviving him for more than six decades, was called to her final rest on the 7th of June, 1908, when ninety-eight years of age. Unto them were born five children, two sons and three daughters, as follows: Mrs. Miller; Clarissa F., the deceased wife of Elisha M. Stewart; Francis S., who served as a soldier in the Civil war and is now a resident of Crescent City, Florida; Ellen A., living in Orange City, Florida, who first wedded Roderick Manville and subsequent to his demise married Dr. P. W. Hill, who has also passed away; and Charles E., who died in a hospital at Nashville, Tennessee, as the result of his service in the Civil war. The paternal grandfather grandparents of Mrs. Miller were Solomon and SalHe Cone, and the grandfather participated in the war of 1812. The maternal grandfather of Mrs. Miller, Josiah Hill, who was a farmer by occupation, passed away in Bloomfield, New York. He married Mrs. Cynthia (Cogswell) Robbins, and they had a family of thirteen children.

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Miller were born three children, namely: George Lewis, who died when but eleven months old; Emilie, the wife of W. S. Reed, a Methodist minister residing at Hampton, Illinois; and George William, who obtained a good education in Geneseo and then took up his above in St. Joseph, Missouri, where he acted as auditor for three different railroads. He passed away there when forty-five years of age. His widow, who bore the maiden name of Lydia Goodwin, now makes her home in Rock Island.

Mr. Miller was a stanch republican in his political views and for some years capable served his fellow townsmen as a member of the city council, while for several years he also held the office of county supervisor. He was called to his final rest on the 22d of March, 1902, when eighty-six years of age, and thus the county was called upon to mourn the loss of one of its most respected and worthy pioneer settlers. He was a devoted and faithful member of the Congregational church, to which his widow also belongs. The latter, who was a little maiden of about nine years when she came with her parents to Henry county, Illinois, has since made her home within its borders and is now the only member of the original colony that settled Geneseo who is still living here. She is a gentle, kindly woman, charitable in her estimate of every one and her many excellent traits of heart and mind have won for her the esteem and admiration of a host of warm friends.

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

IRA COUCH MILLER.

On the roll of Henry county's honored dead appears the name of Ira Couch j

Miller, who for almost sixty years lived within the borders of the county, this covering the entire period of his life save the first six months. He always took a deep interest in what was being accomplished along the lines of substantial growth and improvement, and in his own business affairs kept abreast with the;

trend of general development. Mr. Miller was born September 16, 1842, the place '

of his nativity being Grande Tour, Illinois. His parents were Abram and Sarah I

Ann (South worth) Miller, the former a native of East Hampton, Suffolk county,;

New York, where he was born August 24, 1816. Sarah Ann Southworth was born < at Bemis Point, near Jamestown, New York, and was a daughter of Hiram and,

Rachel (Couch) Southworth. They removed from the vicinity of Jamestown, ]

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

CHARLES CLINTON MILLER.

Charles Clinton Miller, a farmer on section 31, Galva township, Henry county, Illinois, was born in West Middlesex, Pennsylvania, June 11, 1857, and is a son of James and Henrietta (Kemp) Miller. His paternal grandmother died at the age of ninety years. The grandparents on the mother's side, Isaac and Elizabeth (Bonham) Kemp, died in middle life. The former was a native of Maryland and a shoemaker by trade. James Miller, the father of Charles Clinton Miller, was born in Pennsylvania and learned the carpenter's trade. In 1863 he came to Illinois, settling first in Hickory Grove but coming the next year to section 31, Galva township, Henry county. Here he farmer and followed his trade, and on the farm his son now owns passed away in his seventy-third year. His wife was a native of Maryland and survived her husband a number of years, her death occurring in 1904 at the age of seventy-eight. Both Mr. Miller and his wife were strong adherents of the Methodist church. He was school director and road overseer in the years of his activity and occupied a prominent place in the greenback party. Five children were born to them, three sons and two daughters: Mary, who died young; Charles Clinton; John; Myra, who married Fred Keeler; and Reuben, who died at the age of six years.

Mr. Miller has made Galva township his home during all his life. Reared to the work and hardships of the farm, he attended the district school near his home, and then the public school of Galva. Until he reached manhood the paternal farm was his home, but on attaining his majority he started out for himself. For the first few years he rented land and then he removed to the farm of one hundred and five acres he had inherited from his mother. This was but a part of a larger tract of two hundred and sixty-five acres which she had received as a gift from her uncle James M. Bonham. The inherited farm has been Mr. Miller's home to this day, and from it he has gained a comfortable competence.

On the 5th of March, 1884, Mr. Miller was united in marriage to Miss Harriet McDowell, a daughter of William and Caroline (McCoy) McDowell. By birth and ancestry Mrs. Miller belongs to Pennsylvania. Her paternal grandfather, James McDowell, was a native of that state, followed farming, and was a soldier in the war of 1812. He married Miss Sarah Brandon and they had the following children: William B., Jane, Nancy, Henderson, Thomas, Sarah, David and James. Mrs. Miller's maternal grandfather was John McCoy, also a farmer of Pennsylvania, who married Miss Elizabeth Mouer, and they had six children: DeWitt Clinton, Jacob Theodore, Winfield Scott, Caroline Emily, Ellen, and one who died in infancy. John McCoy died in middle life, but his wife lived to a ripe old age. Mrs. Miller's parents were also born in Pennsylvania and came to Illinois in 1876, taking up their residence near Victoria, Knox county. There the mother died December 12, 1895, at the age of sixty-five years, while the father survived until May 26, 1907, when he died in his eighty-ninth year. Seven children were born to them: DeWitt Clinton; Harriet E.; William W.; Edwin T.; Eva C, the wife of John Mackey; and two who died in infancy. Mr. and Mrs. Miller's own family consists of four children: Clyde C, Edwin W., Henrietta C, and Charles Linn. The first born is a barber and farmer. The second son is employed in the Hayes Pump & Planter Company works. He married Miss Florence Dunn.

Mr. Miller enjoys pleasant fraternal relations with Galva Lodge, No. 243, A. F. & A. M., and politically affiliates with the republican party. He has not, however, sought public preferment, though for a period of eight years he served as a member of the school board, during which time he proved to his fellow citizens that he was man who had their best interests at heart.

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

GUSTAV E. MILLER.

Gustav E. Miller, a farmer, stock raiser, feeder and shipper of Geneseo township, who owns two hundred and thirteen acres on sections i8 and 19, about a mile west of the city of Geneseo, was born on a farm near Schwetz, West Prussia, April 15, 1848. His parents were David and Carolina (Sichmansky) Miller, the former also a native of Schwetz, of whose large family six are located in the United States. Herrmann, the youngest, also came to this country, but after remaining about two years returned to Germany and is now living on the old home place. David Miller died in 1893 in his native land. His wife had passed away many years before while her son Gustav E. Miller was still in the army.

Gustav E. Miller, the oldest of the family, was reared upon the home farm and received a good education in the public schools of his native land. In 1869, when he was about twenty years of age, he was called into the German army and during the three years of his service took part in many of the important battles of the Franco-Prussian war, among them being Gravelot, the siege of Metz and the siege of Paris. He was also at Dijon when Garibaldi was in command of the opposing forces, and where his regiment — the Sixty-first — lost its flag, although, through the bravery of one of its members, it was later recovered. In the fall of 1872 Mr. Miller was honorably discharged from the army and the following spring came to America. He embarked on a steamer, which took two weeks to make the voyage, and on landing at New York came almost immediately to Henry county, Illinois, where he had two uncles. He had brought a little money with him, but, thinking it wiser to save this for emergencies, he went to work by the month. After a short time he was able to purchase forty acres of land in Edford township. This he cleared of the brush and timber that covered it and on it built a house and barn. For about fifteen years it remained his home, although in that time the original acreage had been doubled. He had paid about forty dollars an acre for the land and toward the end of the '80s he sold it at some profit and bought one hundred and sixty acres, the farm on which his son Albert now lives.

He paid about sixty-five dollars for that land and made it his home for about seven years, when he bought the three hundred and twenty acres on sections 34 and 35, Geneseo township, on which his son Otto lives. In 1906 he bought the place where he lives today. It is almost unnecessary to add that he has been successful, for the fundamental lessons in farming he learned in his native land he has applied with excellent results in this country.

In Edford township, February 20, 1876, Mr. Miller married Miss Paulina Pobanz, who was born in Bagnevo, West Prussia, Germany, March 22, 1857, and is a daughter of George and Henrietta (Dettmann) Pobanz. She was about five years old when her parents came to this country. They were eleven weeks on the water and landed in New York, coming almost immediately to Henry county. In Edford Township they purchased a home, as they had brought some means with them. On that farm Mrs. Miller grew up, receiving her education in the common schools. To Mr. and Mrs. Miller have been born nine children: Albert E., of whom mention is made in another part of this volume; Emily, who lives at home, Otto H., whose sketch appears elsewhere; Mary, who married Rev. Christ D. Reichle, of Missouri, and is the mother of a son, Richard; Gustav L.. born May 30, 1884; Mathilda, a stenographer in Chicago; Ernst, born June 6, 1889, who lives at home; George, born June 19, 1891; and Grace, who died at the age of nine. The oldest daughter, Emily, is a graduate of a music school in Chicago, and Mary was graduated from the Geneseo high school, while Ernst and George are students in the Geneseo Collegiate Institute. Mr. Miller's son, Gustav, is a born musician and, though he has never had any instruction in the art, he is not only a teacher but a composer as well. He also organized an orchestra of boys, which in the winter of 1908-9, accompanied by a pianist, traveled in Illinois and Missouri, with pronounced financial success.

Mr. and Mrs. Miller and their children belong to the German EvangeHcal Lutheran church, of which Mr. Miller served three terms as trustee. Although he is not a charter member of the congregation he enjoys the distinction of having hauled the first load of bricks for the erection of the edifice. In his political views Mr. Miller is a republican, and for several years rendered efficient service as school director, collector and road overseer in Edford township. In 1909, accompanied by his wife, he returned to Germany for a three months' visit, with the result that he was well satisfied with his home in the United States, where the years of his active life have been spent and where he has made stanch and loyal friends among those who have watched his progress.

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

ALBERT E. MILLER.

Albert E. Miller, one of the native farmers and stockmen of Edford township, was born December 20, 1876, and is a son of Gustav and Paulina (Pobanz) Miller. He was reared on the old homestead and having attended the district school received a good education in the rudimentary branches of English instruction. He also learned the trade of a carpenter during his youth but until he became of age he worked for his father, receiving nothing in return for his labor. On attaining his majority he was permitted to keep his wages and found ready demand for his services in the county and in the city of Geneseo, and was soon able to undertake contracts for carpenter work. Until 1905, when he married, he devoted himself to his trade and then turned his attention to agriculture on the farm on section 34, Edford township, where he lives today. He purchased this from his father in 1902, paying one hundred dollars per acre for it. Since that time he has remodeled the buildings and has made many other improvements so that its value has risen to about one hundred and sixty dollars per acre. He follows general farming and stock raising. With persistence he has made the farm more than pay for itself and return him a large interest upon his investment. In Watertown, Rock Island county, Illinois, May 3, 1905, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Miller and Miss Anna Schultze, of Barstow, that county, where she was born and reared. Her father, Frank Schultze, was a native of Rock Island county, April 9, 1860, having been the date of his birth, while his wife, who was Miss Bertha Lavien in her maidenhood, was born in West Prussia, Germany, and came to America with her parents. Three children were born to them, of whom Mrs. Miller is the eldest; Frank lives with his father and mother in Rock Island county; and Amelia married August Vallrath and also lives in that county. Mr. and Mrs. Miller have one child, Alvera, who was born on the home farm, April 5, 1906. While not a seeker for public preferment, at the election in 1909 Mr. Miller was the choice of the republican voters for township collector. The success which has attended his agricultural endeavors and the high principles which have marked his intercourse with his fellowmen recommended him to the citizens as a man upon whose integrity they might rely. In religious matters he is a stanch Lutheran and with his wife attends the German Evangelical church in Edford township.

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

OTTO HERMAN MILLER.

Otto Herman Miller, a member of the agricultural community of Edford township, where, on sections 34 and 35, he owns a farm of two hundred and forty acres, is a native of that township, and was born February 17, 1880. His parents are Gustav E. and Lena Paulina (Pobanz) Miller, of whom extended mention is made in a preceding sketch. His boyhood days were spent upon his father's farm in the township of his birth, and he attended the common schools of that district, becoming proficient in the English branches taught and also in the speaking and writing of German. Until he became twenty-one he gave his father the benefit of his labor, and then, upon attaining his majority, was paid wages for the five additional years he remained with him. In 1906 Mr. Miller married and began life for himself, renting of his father the farm on which he now lives and which he bought in 1909 for one hundred and forty dollars an acre. Here, in addition to general agriculture, he has engaged largely in the raising and feeding of stock, which he ships in quantity to market. Still a young man, he has many years in which to prove his skill as a miller of the soil, and there is every reason to anticipate that his success will equal that of his father.

In Edford township, March i8, 1906, Mr. Miller wedded Miss Mary Erdman. She was born in that part of the county, June 27, 1884, and is a daughter of John and Anna (Hintz) Erdman, who are residents of Edford township. She received a good education in the common schools and also obtained a knowledge of German which enables her to read and write the language. Mr. and Mrs. Miller have no child living, [name withheld], born March 19, 1907, died ten days after birth.

Mr. Miller is in sympathy with the platform of the republican party, but while he never misses an opportunity to exercise his right of franchise, he has not sought for any public office within the gift of his fellow citizens. In his religious faith he is a Lutheran, and with his wife attends the services of the German Evangelical church.

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