Miller, George Washington 1834-1917

MILLER, CANNON, HELPHREY, BROCK, HARDENBROOK, EMMACK

Posted By: Barbara Hug (email)
Date: 5/9/2005 at 09:59:12

Newton Paper December 1917
George W. Miller A Pioneer of 1854
Dies at his home near Metz at the age of 83.

George Washington Miller

The County loses a good citizen.

George W. Miller died at his home in Mound Prairie township, December 6, 1917. He was born in Fulton County, New York on December 19, 1834. In 1845 with his parents he journeyed by canal, lake boat, and immigrant wagon to Kendall County, Illinois. Here his father died in 1853. [Family Bible says 1851].

In the fall of that year with his mother, bother John, and sister Mrs. Sara Cannon, he moved to Iowa, settling on a farm near Metz. On the 20th of January 1859, he was united in marriage to Emily Helphrey, their license being the first one issued in the then new courthouse. To this couple nine children were born, five of whom are now living and were with him in his last sickness. They are M.T., C.I., Mrs. W.H. Brock, Mrs. Sadie Hardenbrook, and Mrs. E.C. Emmack, all expect one living with him on a part of the old Homestead. The departed ones are Stephen, Mary, May, and Bertha. They have 15 living grandchildren and 12 Great grandchildren.

By frugality and hard labor he from time to time added to his first small acreage till he owned seven hundred and twenty acres of Mound Prairie land, the management of which he shared with his two sons, Mell and Clarence. He was a companion to his children from their childhood to old age.

Funeral services were held Saturday at 11 a.m. at the Metz church conducted by Dr. Williams of Newton, who paid an eloquent tribute to his simple life, which was of much comfort to his aged wife and sorrowing children. Mrs. W.L. Anderson's songs were the kind that touched the heart and give comfort.

The pallbearers were the sons of old friends and neighbors of his. They were Lou Helphery, Henry Dammeier, Patsy Healy, Gil Henney, Elmer Fitzgerald, and Andy Engle. They laid him to rest in the Metz cemetery in sight of the first home he had made in his young manhood and beside his brother John, and among his children who had gone before.

George Miller had for his neighbors in his pioneer days, John M. Reed, John Leeper, A.K. and J.W. Allfree, S.W. Sims, Tom Phillips, Wm. and C.M. Baker, William Hitchler, Frank Pink, Jerry Fitzgerald, Louis Helphery, L.A. Woodruff, C.J. Hickman, George Cannon, Thomas Morrison, Tom Healy, George Ramsey, A.J. Westbrook, William Allaud, James Callison, E.B. and H.L. Moffitt, Richard Manning, and many others, who like himself had come from distant states to make for themselves as home.

They had many privations. Their market and mill were at Oskaloosa, Brooklyn, or Iowa City. They have builded better than even thy had thought and left to us a priceless heritage. Only of this list left on the farm is Jerry Fitzgerald, and he is nearing the western horizon and will soon join his friends of long ago; and like the others leave us only his good name and example. If it can be said of us as it will be said of them, "They have done their work well," then will future generations pay tribute to us in saying we were true sons of our fathers.

Originally submitted on Sun May 28 21:39:28 2000