John B. Miller

As printed in 1881

REV. JOHN B. MILLER, Presbyterian minister; Alliance; was born near North Benton, Columbiana (now Mahoning) Co., Ohio, Feb. 13, 1816. His father, Abraham Md'er, was a native of Fayette Co., Pa., and moved to Ohio and settled in Smith Tj). of Columbiana Co., in 1804; his wife's name was Nancy Blackburn; they reared a family of eight children. The children were sent to subscrijjtion schools in the winter, and were reared to the industries of farm-life during summer. In this way. I oh n B. secured a good practical education, and was never an hour under instruction which was paid from any public fund. When about 12 years of age he united himself with the Methodist Episcopal Church, and early distinguished himself as a leader; on the day he was 16 years of age he received a license from that denomination to exhort in Randolph, Portage Co., and was regidarly ordained at Warren, Trumi.idl Co., Aug. 1, 1841, as a local minister. Two views subsequent to his ordination, when the Church was divided on the issue of slavery in the United States, Mr. Miller went with the seceding faction and joined the Mesleyan Methodists, in Auo-usi, 1843; he was then a])pointed to a circuit, and spent ten years as traveling minister, principally in the "Western Reserve," except one year which he spent in the Westville circuit, in the counties of Columbiana and Stark. Althongii everything was in harmony as regarding his connection with the Wesleyan body, yet his better judgment and more cool reflection would continually deprecate his withdrawal from the Methodist Episcopal body. In December, 1853, he united himself with the Westville Presbytery, and was received by that body on certificate from the Wesleyan MetJiodists, as an ordained minister, as he had been ordained an elder while connected mth the Wesleyan M(!thodist Church. He was then installed pastor of the Presbyterian Church at New Waterford, Columbiana Co., where he preached fourteen years, when he received and accepted a call to preach at Enon Valley, in Pennsylvania, where he remained three years, when he accepted a call from the churches of Betliesda and Hanover, in Columbiana Co., where he preached three year.s, half the time to each church, as neither congregation was able to sustain regular weekly service. He then severed his relation with the Hanover church, and preached two years, giving all his time to the church at Bethesda. In Ajjril, 1877, he was obliged, on account of failing health, to give up his charge at Bethesda, since which time he has been supplying different churches; for about eighteen months past he has been preaching to the congregation at New Harrisburg, Carroll Co. Dec. 2, 1834, he married Sarah Shaffer, and to them were born twelve children, eight of whom are living, viz. —.Jesse (whose sketch is in this work), Bradford, now Treasurer of Shawnee Co., Kan.; Williatn W. and Hiram B., partners in mercantile and live-stock trade, in Osage, Kan.; Henry H., a ph3-sician, in practice at Rossville, K;in.; John A., in the boot and shoe business in North Topeka; Stephen is a merchant in Florence, Kan.; Jane A. is now Mrs. William Millard, of this county. Mrs. Miller died Nov. 6, 1805; Mr. Miller married his second wife, Mrs. Mary Boies, nee Hamilton, widow of the late W. Boies, Nov. 6, 1866. Although well advanced in years, Mr. Miller is a man full of vitality, energetic in the good cause, an ever-ready and zealous worker; what he may have lacked, in early life, in collegiate education, is fully compensated in native ability, a large amount of common-sense, seasoned with a long and varied experience. Five of his sons were engaged in the late civil war, viz. — Jesse, Bradford, John A.,

Willium W. and Hiram B. Bradford served for some time as Assistant Provost Marshal at Alliance.

As printed in History of Stark County, with an outline sketch of Ohio (1881). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.