Chalmers A. Miller

MILLER, KIRKENDALL

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 8/9/2007 at 23:47:43

Source: History of Monona County, Iowa
1890 Chicago National Pub.

Chalmers A. Miller, one of the intelligent and well educated citizens of Center Township, who is extensively engaged in agricultural pursuits, came to Monona County in October 1869, from Story County, Iowa, and at first located on section 17, having purchased one hundred and twenty acres. Upon this he remained until 1873, when he removed to his present home on section 3, where he has a most excellent farm, embracing three hundred and twenty acres, one hundred and twenty-five of which are devoted to cultivation, the balance being in pasture and meadow, except nine acres, which are covered with natural and artificial groves. His house, which is one of the neatest and most tasty in the neighborhood, commands a beautiful view, and is highly eligible as a residence.
Mr. Miller was born April 11, 1845, in Carroll County, Ohio. His father, John A. Miller, a native of Virginia, who was born about 1809, came to Jasper County, Iowa in 1854, where he died the same year. His mother, Mary Miller, was born in Ohio in 1810, and with her husband came to Iowa in 1854, and died in Monona County, October 28, 1887, at the residence of her son John, in the Soldier Valley.
Chalmers was one of the family of nine children born to his parents, the others being Ephraim, Albert, Solomon, Joseph, Eliza, Hannah, John J, and Ruth. He came in childhood to Iowa with his parents, and the year succeeding his father’s death, with his mother he settled in Story County: this was the spring of 1855. There he remained until May 16, 1863, when he enlisted in Company G, Seventh Iowa Calvary, and served three years upon the Western plains. The regiment fought in several battles and won the lasting gratitude of the people of the west, and our subject was mustered out at Leavenworth, Kan., and honorably discharged at Davenport, Iowa, May 17, 1866. Returning to the farm in Story County, he there remained about a year, when he was married, February 28, 1867, to Miss Jane Kirkendall, a native of Ohio, who was born December 9m 1843, and is the daughter of James and Rebecca Kirkendall, and soon came to Monona County. Having received an excellent foundation for his education in the district schools of Ohio and Story County, Iowa, and being of a studious temperament, improving his time, he finished with a course at a commercial college at Des Moines, and for the first few years of his residence here was engaged in teaching school. March 3, 1888, he met with a serious accident while crushing corn fodder, his sleeve catching in the gearing and crushing his hand, fortunately the left one, to such a degree that amputation was necessary.
Mr. and Mrs. Miller have had a family of eleven children- Harvey O., John C., Olive A., Lena E., Effie, Mary E., Ruth, Richard G., Ruey, Robert and Hugh H. Richard G., born March 4, 1881 was drowned in the water tank into which he fell while playing, June 25, 1884. Robert died in infancy.