David A. Miller (1852-1944)

MILLER

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 4/14/2023 at 17:23:39

David A. Miller
(December 26, 1852 - December 30, 1944)

For twenty years David A. Miller has been connected with railroad work as an employee of the Chicago & Northwestern Railway Company and his consecutive service with this corporation has been an unmistakable proof of his fidelity and his ability. He is one of Iowa's native sons, for his birth occurred in Keokuk County, December 26, 1852. His father, William Miller, was a native of Union County, Kentucky, and in 1839 came with his parents to Iowa, the family settling in Jefferson county when it was a wild and unimproved region - Indians still living in that neighborhood for several years after their arrival. All kinds of wild game was to be had in abundance, including deer, elk and turkeys, and furnished many a meal for the settlers. Wolves sometimes made the night hideous with their
howling and the conditions of life were such as are always found in frontier regions before civilization has transformed the country
from its natural state. Aaron Miller, the grandfather of our subject, thus became an honored pioneer of Iowa and always bore
his part in the progress and up building of the locality. He had thirteen children, among whom was William, the father of our subject. He aided in the arduous task of developing a new farm in Jefferson County and there carried on agricultural pursuits for a number of years. He was a soldier of the Civil war, joining the boys in blue of Company F, Thirty-third Iowa Infantry, with which he served for three years, sustaining wounds in battle, but he never faltered in the discharge of his military duty and was most loyal to the old flag and the cause it represented. In 1840 he was married to Miss Jane McKee, who was a native of Warren County, Pennsylvania, and with her parents removed to the west in 1839. Her father, David McKee, was likewise born in the Keystone state and by his marriage
had a large family. Mr. and Mrs. Miller became the parents of fourteen children, five sons and nine daughters, and of this number
nine are yet living. Louisa, who is the wife of Silas New, resides near Lake City. The parents of our subject resided in Missouri for one year, were afterward residents of Story County, Iowa, and in 1883 came from Dakota to this state, settling at Jewell Junction, where the father died March 16, 1900. The mother is still living at the age of seventy-five years and makes her home in Lake City.
David A. Miller is indebted to the public school system of Keokuk County for the educational privileges which he enjoyed, and on putting aside his text-books he began life on a farm, following agricultural pursuits until 1881, when he entered the railroad service. It was in November of that year that he began work as a carpenter for the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad Company, at Jewell Junction, and subsequently he became an engine-wiper in the spring of 1882. In May of the following year he was made a fireman,
running between Jewell Junction, Hawarden and Lake City, and on the 2nd of December, 1887, he was promoted to engineer. The first trip which he made in this capacity was from Eagle Grove to Jewell Junction, in charge of a light engine, after which he took a train to Mapleton. He has been on the same division continuously and now has a passenger run between Wall Lake, Dennison and Lake City. He has been very fortunate in his work in that he has never been in any serious wrecks or accidents and has never been laid off. The former is undoubtedly largely due to his great care and his understanding of the responsibility which devolves upon him. He is popular in railroad circles and is well known and highly esteemed in the community where he resides.
On the 27th of December, 1874, Mr. Miller was united in marriage to Sarah A. Gallahan, of Lincoln County, South Dakota, a daughter of Andrew Gallahan. Her parents were members of the United Brethren
church and both are now deceased. In the territorial days of Iowa her father settled in this state and in 1869 removed to Dakota.
He was born and reared in Ohio, but became an active factor in pioneer development in the west. He died in Rock Falls, Iowa,
August 26, 1886, and his wife passed away in Harrisburg, South Dakota, April 18, 1882. Mrs. Miller has one brother, who is a ranchman in Idaho, and two of her sisters are also living. The marriage of our subject and his wife has been blessed with three
children. Alta, the wife of R. A. Fuller, of Jewell Junction; George, who is living in Omaha and is in the employ of the American Express Company; and Cora, at home. They have also reared an adopted daughter, Maude Gallahan. In May 1882, our subject removed with his family to Lake City, which at that time was the terminal of the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad, and here Mr. and Mrs. Miller and their children have become widely known, their circle of friends
being almost co-extensive with the circle of their acquaintances. Fraternally Mr. Miller is connected with the Brotherhood of locomotive Engineers, and belongs to both the subordinate lodge and encampment of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Ancient Order of United Workmen, while both he and his wife hold membership with
the Rebekah degree. They are also members of the Presbyterian church, and in the community where they reside their many excellencies of character have gained for them warm regard. [Source - Biographical Record of Calhoun County, Iowa, by S. J. Clarke, 1902, p.503]