In the book's own words, not ours, with obvious scanning errors fixed. Families often supplied these stories to the publisher, so check key dates.
Born 1843, Clay county
From History of Ray County, Mo. (1881)
JOSEPH MILLER.
Was born in Clay county, Missouri, January 19, 1843. His father removed the year alter the birth of Joseph, with his family to Camden, Ray county, Missouri. His father was a cooper, and from him our subject learned that trade. JosephlMiller worked at the cooper's trade until 1878, when he began coal mining. During the late civil war he was a soldier in the Union army. He was married, in 1876, to Miss Laura E. Armstrong, daughter of Mr. Wesley Armstrong, of Moniteau county, Missouri. They became the parents of five children, two boys and three girls. Only three are now living: Mary A., Edith A. and William H. Mr. Miller has a neat, comfortable home, in Camden, and is, at present (April, 1881), engaged as weigh-master of mine No. 5, owned by J. C. McGrew, of Lexington.
As printed in History of Ray County, Mo. (1881). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
The printed record stops around 1881. We trace your line from there down to you, with every source cited.