William J. Miller

As printed in 1912

WTLLIAM J. MILLER.

In every life of honor and usefulness we find much interesting incident and yet in summing the career of any person the biographer needs touch only the most salient points, giving only the keynote of the character, but eliminating much that is superfluous. So in presenting the life record of William J. Miller, one of the leading farmers of Jasper county, who is the owner of a model farmstead in Mound Prairie and Newton townships, no attempt shall be made to recount all the important acts in his useful life, nor recite every incident in his praiseworthy career, for it is deemed that only a few of them will suffice to show him to be eminently worthy of a place in this volume along with his fellows of high standing and recognized worth.

Mr. Miller was born in Sherman township, this county, April 9, 1858." He is the son of John, Jr., and Lucretia Jane (Cannon) Miller, the father born in i'ullon county. New York, December 29, 1833. and the mother in Boonesboro, Kentucky. July 6, 1834. When sixteen years of age the father of the subject came with his grandfather, John Miller, Sr.. to Kendall county, Illinois, by boat over the Great Lakes. In 1853 John. Jr., with his mother and brother George and sister Sarah, drove through to Jasper county, Iowa, and located in Sherman township, John Miller, Sr., having died in Illinois in 1852. His sons, John and George, bought two hundred acres of land for their mother and they all lived on the place until 1865, when John Miller, Jr., mo'ed to Newton township and bought one hundred and forty acres. From there he moved to Sherman township in 1865 and bought one hundred and forty acres. At the time of his death in 1899 he owned three hundred and sixty acres. Politically, he was a Republican. His family consisted of four sons and three daughters, namely: The two oldest died in infancy; Mrs. Louisa E. Hanson, Mrs. Nancy J. Henney; Lemuel J. and Oscar E. are deceased; and William of this review.

William J. Miller grew up on the home farm and he began working the fields when but a lad. He attended the rural schools in Sherman township, and remained at home until his marriage, then rented land a year, after which he bought eighty acres. He has met with continued success as a general farmer and stock raiser and he became the owner of six hundred and twenty acres, all in Mound Prairie township. This he sold largely to his sons and bought two hundred and thirty-seven acres in Newton township, one-half mile from the corporation. He has kept his land under an excellent state of cultivation and modern improvements, and has built good barns and outbuildings. He has kept and bred Aberdeen-Angus cattle for twenty years, and he keeps from seventy-five to one hundred and fifty stock cattle for breeding. He has bred and fed more Angus steers than any other Angus breeder in America. Those who have a knowledge of such matters will readily acquiesce in this statement. He is widely known for his fine cattle and a large part of his competency has been gained in this manner, for he is an excellent judge of the bovine division of live stock and understands well their care, so his stock always finds a very ready market. He has fed several car loads of cattle annually for the past twenty years, and he keeps nothing now but registered cattle. He also raises Percheron horses of an excellent grade.

Mr. Miller is a Republican and he has been a member of the county board of commissioners for two terms in the past.

Mr. Miller was married on February 28, 1878, to Emma A. Leeper, who was born in Ohio, the daughter of John Leeper an early settler in Jasper county and a substantial and highly respected citizen. To the subject and wife the following children have been born: Mrs. Jennie Traxler, Ralph Leroy, John, Mrs. Edith Pink, Florence and Floyd.

Mr. Miller is one of the most prominent cattle breeders in central Iowa and every year he carries away many premiums at the Iowa state fair. Personally, he is a genial, companionable, honest gentleman who has won the confidence and respect of all who know him.

THOMAS j. JEFFERS

In such men as Tliumas J. Jeft'ers, farmer of Independence township, Jasper county, there is peculiar satisfaction in offering their life histories as justification for the compilation of works of this character — not that their lives have been such as to gain them particularly wide notoriety or the admiring plaudits of their fellow men, but that they have lived upright lives and been true to the confidence reposed in them, having shown such integrity as to entitle them to the regard of all.

Mr. Jeffers was born in this township on April 22, 1873, and here he grew to manhood and received his education, and, with the exception of a short time in the West, he has been a continuous resident in this vicinity. He is the son of Joseph JefTers, who was born in Ohio. He was among the early settlers of Jasper county and here spent his last days on a farm in Independence township, dying in 1877; his wife died in 1876. They were the parents of five children, two daughters and three sons, namely: Mrs. Clara Beels, born March 11, 1857, lives in Baxter; Mrs. Edward Patterson lives in Independence township; William, born June 15, 1853, lives in Nebraska; Thomas J., of this review; Walter, born May zt,, 1874, lives in Independence township. These children were all born and reared in this township and were educated in the local schools.

Thomas J. Jeffers was reared on the home farm and there he assisted with the general work about the place during the summertime, and he has made farming his life work. He owns thirty acres of good land in Independence township) and has a comfortable home there. In connection with his farming he operates a threshing machine and corn-shelling outfit, doing a big annual business with each, being one of the be.st known threshers in the county, enjoying substantial returns from a large territory.

Mr. Jeffers was married on November 11, 1894, to Lillie Blanche Stier, who was born in Clear Creek township, Jasper county. Iowa, August 6, 1876, and here she grew to womanhoorl and was educated, and with the exception of five years has been a continuous resident of the county. She is the daughter of John and Polly (Emery) Stier, the father born in Michigan on April

[This passage is too damaged in the scanned book to reproduce. See the original book.]

There were seven children in the Stier family, five of whom are living, namely: Amos and Mamie, twins, born in 1878, the former residing in Minnesota, the latter having died in infancy; Albert, born in 1880, lives in Mingo; Mrs. Minnie Densmore, born in 1889, lives in California; Ileon, born July 4, 1897, lives in Mingo; Lee died in infancy. These children were born in Clear Creek township, the rest in Jasper county.

To Mr. and Mrs. Jeffers has been born one daughter, Zella, whose birth occurred on May 31, 1896; she is attending the rural schools of this community.

Politically, Mr. Jeffers is a Republican. He is a member of Jasper Lodge No. 168, Knights of Pythias, of Baxter. Mrs. Jeffers is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church of Clear Creek.

As printed in Past and present of Jasper County, Iowa (1912). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.