Miller, James M.

TRUITT, SHELDON, POTTER

Posted By: BCGS
Date: 1/17/2010 at 12:30:26

James M. Miller, a capitalist who has resided in Waverly since 1893, now devotes his time to the care of his property interests, being an extensive owner of city real estate here and several fine farms in Bremer county, as well as lands in Minnesota, Nebraska and Canada. He has been successfully identified with general agricultural pursuits throughout his active career and is still engaged in business as a stock dealer, but has not done any farming in the present year. His birth occurred in Eaton, Prebel county, Ohio, on the 6th of February, 1844, his parents being George B. and Charlotte (Truitt) Miller, the former born near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and the latter in the state of Delaware. George B. Miller, who learned the trades of blacksmith and gunsmith, went to Ohio in early life and there worked at those occupations until 1855. On the 7th of May of that year he left the Buckeye state, came to Bremer county, Iowa, and located on a farm five miles north of Waverly, leaving much of the active work of the fields to our subject and erecting a shop in which he worked at his trade. His demise there occurred on the 10th of June, 1883, while his wife passed away in Waverly about 1900. He held the office of school director and assessor and enjoyed an extensive and favorable acquaintance throughout the community which was his home for almost three decades. Unto him and his wife were born two children: James M., of this review, and Elizabeth K., who is the widow of Albert Sheldon and resides in Waverly.

James M. Miller attended school at Eaton, Ohio, until eleven years of age and then came with his parents to this county, here continuing his studies in the district schools during the winter seasons. He remained under the parental roof until twenty-four years of age and then started out as an agriculturist on his own account, acquiring a tract of land in Bremer county and devoting his attention to farming and the buying and selling stock. He is still engaged in business as a stock dealer, but has not done any farming during the present year. In 1893 he took up his abode in Waverly and has here resided continuously since. He owns several fine farms in Bremer county and also has property interests in Minnesota, Nebraska and Canada, his Minnesota holdings comprising nine hundred and sixty acres of timeber land. He is an extensive owner of city property in Waverly, and in 1912 erected one of the largest and most substantial brick buildings in the town. He likewise has another large store building on Bremer avenue and several residence properties, and now devotes his attention exclusively to the care of these intersts. The prosperity which he now enjoys is attributable entirely to his sound judgment, excellent business ability and keen discernment, and he has long been numbered among the representative and leading citizens of Waverly.

On the 2d of January, 1868, at the age of twenty-four years, Mr. Miller was united in marriage in Miss Caroline A. Potter, who was born in the state of New York on the 25th of September, 1844. Her parents came to Iowa immediately after the close of the Civil war, settling at Horton, where they spent the remainder of their lives. Mr. Potter, who was successfully engaged in farming throughout his active business career and spent his last days in honorable retirement, survived his wife for a number of years. They has six children and the two last born, including Mrs. Miller, were twins. Mr. Miller is a democrat in his political views, but casts an independent ballot at local elections, always considering the fitness of a candidate rather than his party affiliation. The period of his residence in this county covers almost six decades, and he has won many friends within its border.

History of Bremer County, Iowa Vol. II 1914