Miller, Robert

MILLER

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 9/22/2019 at 19:41:15

Robert Miller

(From the 1891 Biographical History of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, p.499)
ROBERT MILLER, one of the representative citizens of Washington Township, Pottawattamie County, has resided here since 1882. He is justly deserving of honorable mention in a work of this character, and a resume of his life is herewith given.

Mr. MILLER was born in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, twenty miles from Pittsburgh, near the Allegheny River, February 22, 1831. His father, Joseph B. MILLER, was born near Freeport, Pennsylvania, son of John MILLER, a native of Ireland. The latter was one of the two early settlers in that part of Allegheny County. The mother of our subject, Jane (McCALL) MILLER, was born in Butler county, Pennsylvania. Her father, John McCALL, was of Scotch-Irish ancestry. In 1854, Joseph B. MILLER and wife removed to Rock Island County, Illinois, where they resided until their death, the mother dying at the age of seventy-five years and eleven months, and the father at the age of seventy-six years and eleven months. He was a farmer the most of his life, but for seventeen years acted as a county officer. In politics, he was a Whig and an Abolitionist. He was one of the twelve men who first voted the Abolitionist ticket in Allegheny County. In religion he was a Seceder or a United Presbyterian. He and his wife reared eight children, seven sons and one daughter. Three of the sons served in the late War.

Robert passed his youth at farm work in his native county and received his education in the public schools. In 1854, when he was twenty-four years of age, he was married in Allegheny County, to Miss Eleanor McKEE, a lady of intelligence and refinement. She was born in Washington County, Pennsylvania, daughter of John and Mary Ann (CRAWFORD) McKEE. Her parents were of Irish ancestry, and were born in Belfast, Ireland. They worshiped with the old-school Presbyterians. Robert MILLER resided in Pennsylvania until 1854, when he removed to Rock Island County, Illinois, where he remained until 1868, with the exception of one year spent at Pike's Peak. In 1868, he removed to Page County, Iowa, and located northwest of Clarinda, being one of the early settlers of that place. He resided in Page County until the spring of 1871, when he moved to Thayer County, Nebraska, then called Jefferson County. After remaining there five years and four months, he returned to Page County and for one year made his home south of Essex. He then went to Atchison County, Missouri, and from there, in 1882, he came to Washington Township, Pottawattamie County, Iowa. In 1881, he purchased 160 acres of land from B. F. CLAYTON. The soil had been broken, but there were no improvements on the farm. In 1886 he purchased 80 acres more, now being the owner of 240 acres of well improved land. Besides his own residence, he has two tenant houses. His farm is devoted to general farming and stock-raising.

Mr. And Mrs. MILLER have six children, namely: Mary Jane, wife of George FULTON, Thayer County, Nebraska; Eliza Belle, wife of Samuel BARTLE, Carson Township, Pottawattamie County; Joseph B. is married and lives on his father's farm; William John is also married and resides on the PERRY place; James T. at home; and Robert R., at school. Two of their children are deceased, an infant son and Eleanor, who died at the age of seven months.

Mr. MILLER casts his vote and influence with the Republican party and he has served the public in some of the township offices. He and his wife are members of the Sharon Presbyterian Church, of which he is an elder. He is also an active worker in the Sabbath school. Mr. MILLER is a man of three-score years, yet he bears his age lightly. He is a desirable acquisition to the community in which he resides, and is honored and esteemed by all who know him.