Paul M. Miller

As printed in 1909

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 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.