Albert O. Miller

As printed in 1909

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 History of Clay County, Iowa, from its earliest settlement to 1909 (1909). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.