Miller Brothers - Alex, Louis, Rude, John, and Fred

MILLER, ISELI

Posted By: Wilma J. Vande Berg - volunteer (email)
Date: 11/18/2021 at 11:42:28

Miller Brothers (Alex, Louis, Rude, John, Fred)

This story was taken from the ‘Rock Valley Records & Recollections’ book written about 1976 in honor of the two hundredth birthday of our nation. It was a revision of the history written by Lottie Thomas in 1955. It was transcribed for this BIOS by Beth De Leeuw of the Greater Sioux County Genealogical Society and some research notes were added.

Early in 1880, Alex and Lou Miller came from Elgin, Iowa, to Plymouth County, where they worked in breaking the prairie in the Remsen-LeMars area. Later in the year, when they needed an extra “hand” because they wished to use three mule-drawn plows to “back set” the prairie, their twelve year old brother, Fred, came to join them. They were paid $3.00 per acre (about three acres could be broken in one day).

The brothers used a hay rack with hay over it for their living quarters. When winter came, the two older brothers returned to Elgin, leaving Fred at Remsen to care for the mules during the winter months. Fred lived with strangers, who improvised a bedroom for him in their attic which was anything but “snow-proof”; he attended the first school in Remsen.

The fact that Alex married in 1882 and brought his bride with him to Remsen provided the first real home for the three brothers in the West. In 1884 their brothers, Rude and John, came to join them, and that is when the five brothers decided to come to Garfield Township in Sioux County (where they had already purchased land) to make their permanent home.

They settled along Dry Creek on what is known as the old Alex Miller Farm, Garfield Township, Southwest Section 24, about eight miles southwest of Rock Valley. The distance in those days was actually less than eight miles, for the wagon trails cut diagonally across the prairie, which was as yet very sparsely populated, as indicated by the fact that there were only two or three cattle-herders’ shacks for miles around the Millers’ farm. The Millers and another farmer by the name of Waldorf were the first settlers in Garfield.

All of the brothers made their home with Alex Miller’s in a building later to be used as a granary and constructed from lumber hauled from LeMars by horses and mules on a trail leading to Sioux Falls and passing through their land. This granary is still standing. Later, a little house was built on adjoining land (Northwest ¼ Section 25) which provided a home for the Alex Miller family, his four brothers, a hired girl, and two hired men. Part of this house, to which additions have been made, is still in use. The young men worked together in breaking the prairie and farming a considerable area, hiring six to eight men to help with the work.

On the day of the great blizzard of February 1888, Alex Miller was in Rock Valley to get a load of coal when a telegram came to town that a fierce blizzard was coming and he was urged not to go home. But as the coal was badly needed at home, he risked going. When he got within a mile of home, the blizzard struck and he had to stop to pull the ice from the eyes of the miles. After that he did not know where he was going but the mules took him home.

One by one, Alex’s brothers married and established homes in the area on land they purchased. At about the same time, their sister, Lydia, and her husband, Alex Yunker, came from Elgin and settled in the same neighborhood (See Alex Yunker history).

Although the first years were rugged, the Millers along with fellow pioneers surmounted their difficulties and made farming here a successful venture. Alex, Fred, John, and Louis have many descendants living in the Rock Valley community. Some descendants of Rudolf reside in the Hudson area.

1. (ALEXANDER) ALEX MILLER
Alex, the eldest of the five Miller brothers, continued to live on the farm where the brothers had first settled. Alex married Mary Muehlenthaler in 1882, and two of their children, Fred A. and Mary, continued to live in the community.

FRED A. MILLER--Fred A., the oldest member of the Alex Millers often recalled an experience he had while attending school. Since the nearest school available for him was about three miles away, he reached school by riding a horse to his Uncle John’s farm and then walking the remaining one and one-fourth miles. One day, the horse stumbled and fell, throwing Fred off, and the horse’s return home without Fred prompted a search for him. After some time, one of the searchers spyed a waving line in the tall slough grass and found the lost boy.

Fred A. married Emma Bauder. For some years they lived on the home farm where their four children, Florence, Lawrence, Esther, and Alvin were born. Later the family moved to the Gottlieb Bauder farm. (See Bauder Family).

MARY MILLER--Mary Miller, daughter of the Alex Miller’s, married Lee Clarey. When the Fred A. Millers moved, the home place became the home of the Lee Clarey’s. they lived on this farm until their retirement to Rock Valley in 1960. The farm was rented to Vernon Hamann until 1971 when it was sold. The Billie Ranschaus now live there. Members of the Alex Miller family had possession of the farm for over ninety years and lived on the farm for nearly eighty years. Original buildings on the farm, besides the house and granary, are a horse barn, a blacksmith with a fireplace, and a smoke house.

OBITUARY OF ALEX MILLER
From the Hawarden Independent of Sep 17, 1936
Funeral of Alex Miller born 12 Aug 1856 died 9 Sep 1936 buried Peace Lutheran Cemetery rural Sioux Center.
The funeral of Alex Miller of Rock Valley, whose death occurred last Wednesday morning following an illness of almost nine months, was held last Friday afternoon and was one of the largest funerals ever held in this community. Brief services were held at the home in Rock Valley at 1:30 in the afternoon and then the large procession wended its way to the Pease Lutheran church in Plato township where their last sad respects were paid to as fine a man as ever lived in Iowa. Rev. Hugo Beyer preached a fine sermon and the tributes he paid to the dead man's life and character were well merited and richly deserved. The Lutheran choir sang a few of the old hymns and many beautiful flowers covered the bier. The pall bearers were six of his nephews.
He is survived by his wife (Mary Muehlethaler), his companion for over 54 years; three children, Fred A. and Mrs. Lee Clary of Garfied township, and Emil of Hudson; ten grand children and one great grandchild.
A paragraph describes the people who attended the funeral from a distance....
To the sadly bereaved family we tender our sincerest and most heartfelt sympathy.

2. FRED MILLER
Fred Miller, youngest of the five Miller brothers, married Ida Bauder in 1893, and in the same year built a house on their farm. Their farm was located in Garfield Township Northeast ¼ Section 25, which Fred bought in 1889. They had seven children, all sons. Four of their sons, Elmer, Frank, Ernest, and Clarence, established homes in this vicinity.

ELMER AND CLARENCE MILLER—Elmer was manager of the Community Oil Co. His brother, Clarence, who married Irene De Smet, also held the same position for many years.

ERNEST MILLER—Ernest married Greta Hamann and they farmed for a number of years the farm where Gene Johnson is now farming. Later they moved to Rock Valley and Ernest is now employed by the Thornburg Co.

FRANK MILLER—Frank married Amanda Schuldt in 1921, and then took possession of the home farm. Frank died in 1939, Amanda along with their sons, continued farming until 1953 when she moved to Hudson. Their son, Robert, did the farming until 1959. Since then their son Raymond has done the farming and is owner of the land. Members of the Frank Miller family have owned and worked the land for eighty-seven years.

Another son of the Fred Millers moved to the Hudson area, but has a daughter Joann, Mrs. William Van Maanen, residing in Rock Valley.

OBITUARY OF FRED MILLER
From the Hawarden Independent of April 16, 1931
Death Claims Fred Miller
Passed Away Suddenly Last Thursday at Home in Rock Valley.
This community received a severe shock last Thursday afternoon when the sad news was spread that Fred Miller had died suddenly at his home in Rock Valley from a heart attack that afternoon at 5 o'clock. He and his brother, Alex miller, had been fishing during the afternoon and he was cleaning fish in his yard when he suddenly collapsed. A physician was called immediately but he passed away with in a few minutes. Fred Miller was born at Elgin, Iowa March 15, 1896, and died April 9, 1931, so was 63 years and 25 days old at the time of his death. He was a well known pioneer of this section, coming with his brothers to Garfield twonship in 1884. On March 2, 1893, he was married to Ide Bauder. After their marriage they moved onto the farm in the eastern part of Garfield township where his son, Frank Miller, now resides. In 1923 he moved to Rock Valley. He was a member of the Farmers Elevator Co., director of the Communtiy Oil Co.. and a driector in the Farmers Lumber co. He also served on the school board for a number of years. In the year 1923 he was baptized in the name of the triune God and was recieved into communicant membership of the Lutheran church through the rites of confimation.
The deceased was a hard worker, always cheerful and never more happy that when he could do a favor for some neighbor or friend. He is survived by his sorrowing widow and seven sons, Elmer and Clarence of Rock Valley; Frank, Ernest and Albert of Garfield township, Harry of Hudson and Will, who resides southwest of Hudson. He also leaves ten grandchildren, two sisters, Mrs. Adolph Baumgartner of Elgin, IA and Mrs. Alex Ymker of Rock Valley, and three brothers, Alex of Rock Valley; Rude of Hudson and John of St. Peterburg FL. His brother Louis passed away April 6, 1923.
Funeral services were held Monday Afternoon and it was one of the largest funerals ever held, the whole countryside being present. A brief Service was held at one o'clock in the home, then the large procession over a mile long wended its way to Peace Lutheran church in Plato Township where Rev. Graf preached a very fine sermon and Rev. Bretthauser of Alcester also spoke, both telling of the influence for good in the community of a good Christian man, who was seen personally every Sunday at services...
Interment was made in the Peace Lutheran Cemetery.
Obit goes on to list those who came from a distance to attend.
To the sadly bereaved one we tender our sincerest most heartfelt sypathies.....

3. LOUIS MILLER
In 1883 Louis Miller, one of the five Miller brothers, bought the Southeast ¼ of Section 13 in Garfield Township for $12.50 an acre. Five years later, he married Ricka Gayer, and that same year a house was built on the farm. While the house was being built, they lived in the granary. They had eight children and two of them, Louis and Wesley, stayed in the community.

LOUISE MILLER—Louise Miller, the first child of the Louis Millers, was born in the granary in 1888, as a house was not yet complete. Louise married John Heuer, and two of their children, Edwin and Harold, became farmers in this vicinity.

WESLEY MILLER—Wesley Miller, son of the Louis Millers, married Alma Wegner in 1921. For the first two years of their marriage, they lived one mile east of the home farm on a Miller farm. When Louis Miller passed away, his wife moved to town, and Wesley with his wife moved back to the home place. This was their home until 1951 when they moved to Rock Valley, but much of their time is spent back on the farm helping with the work and enjoying their former home. The Wesley Millers have three children; Gordon, who is living on and farming the home place; Elaine, Mrs. Paul Beumer; and Glen, a psychologist at Tempe, Arizona. To date, this farm has been in the possession of Louis Miller family members for ninety-three years.

OBITUARY OF LOUIS MILLER
From the Hawarden Independent of April 19, 1923
Louis Miller, a pioneer resident of Garfield Township, died in a hospital in Los Angeles CA, Friday morning, April 6th, following an operation for appendicitis. The news of his death came as a great shock to his many relatives and friends.
On the eleventh of last December he and his wfie and daughter Emma and his brothers, Alex and Fred Miller and their wives, went to CA to spend the winter, having a very enjoyable visit there with Louis Miller's married daughter and with other relatives and friends all winter long. On Monday, April 2nd he complained of feeling ill but did not think he wanted a doctor, but he became worse on Wednesday and when a doctore was called Mr. Miller was rushed to a hospital where he was operated upon that eveing. He rallied nicely form the operation at first but passed away at 4:45 on Friday morning.
Louis Miller was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Rudolph Miller. He was born March 7, 1858 at Elgin, Fayette county IA, and died at Los Angeles CA, on April 6, 1923, at the age of 65 years and 29 days. He came to Plymouth County IA, in 1880 and in 1884 located in Garfield township where he went to farming with his brothers. The old farm was still his home at the time of his death although it is now being from by his son Wesley Miller. On March 1, 1888 he was united in marriage with Miss Frederika Gayer. Eight children were born to this union, one dying in infancy, and one son Willie dying at the age of 3 years. The children, who with their mother, are left to mourn his loss are Mrs. John Heuer of Eagle Township, Carl and Louis of Hudson SD, Wesley and Emma of Gerfield Township, and Mrs. Herbert Coffman of Los Angeles. He also leaves two sisters and four brothers, Mrs. Alex Yumker of Rock Valley and Mrs. Adolph Baumgartner of Elgin IA, Fred and Alex Miller of Garfield Township, Rudolph Miller of Hudson SD, and John Miller of St. Petersburg FL., who was unalbe to be present at the funeral. He is also suvived by four grandsons, two grand daughters and many nephews and nieces and other relatives and friends.
The remains were brought from Los Angeles to Hudson, reaching there on Tuesday of last week, and brief funeral services were held on Wednesday afthernoon at 2 o'clock at the home of his son, Carl Miller, after which the remains were escorted to the Lutheran church, a block away where Rev. Dacsteiner, pastor of the Plato Township Lutheran church, to which the deceased had belonged ever since its establishment, preached a splendid funeral sermon. Many beautiful floral tributes were in evidence.
(Obit goes on to list pall bearers.)
Interment took place in the Hudson cemetery where he was buried beside his little son Willie.

4. JOHN MILLER FAMILY AND FARMS
John Miller, one of the five Miller brothers, bought land in Garfield Township, Northeast ¼ Section 24, two miles west and five miles south of Rock Valley, which has an old and interesting list of owners. Those who once owned the land are as follows:

The first owner was Boughton, who served in the War of 1812 under Captain Conkley. The land was a war warranty given to him for his services in the war. The deed was signed by President Buchanan in 1857.

Boughton sold to Horton of New York in May of 1857 for $1.25 per acre.

In that same year, 1857, Horton sold to Luther Marshall of New York for $2.00 per acre.

In 1864 Marshall sold to Rounsvell of Illinois for $1.04 per acre.

In 1877 Rounsvell sold to Throop for $3.75 per acre.

In 1887 John Miller bought the land for $10.00 per acre.

The first buildings on this farm were erected by John Miller. Part of the present house is from the original home. John Miller married Louisa Bauder, and they had eleven children who were all born at home. Three of the children are living: Hilda and Clara Miller of Rock Valley, and Harold Miller of Orange City. Three children, Nellie (Mrs. Will Serck), Edwin, and Oscar, were farmers in the community. John Miller was well known as a breeder of thorough-bred Poland China hogs, which were shipped to all sections of the United States.

OSCAR MILLER—Oscar Miller, the third son of Mr. and Mrs. John Miller, who became the owner of the home farm, married Emma Toft from Hudson, South Dakota. She, too, was born in Garfield Township and lived about all of her life there, receiving her grade school education in a Garfield rural school. She attended high school in Hudson, South Dakota, and then taught school in Garfield Township.

Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Miller had seven children; they are as follows:

Verlyn, a graduate M.D. from Iowa University, spent two years in the Air Force in England as a doctor. He is now a heart, lung, and vascular doctor in Racine, Wisconsin. He has one child.

Eloise (Kramer) taught school and spent five years in New Guinea as a missionary. She graduated from Iowa University, now lives at Ankeny, Iowa, and has three children.

Joyce (Buckley) attended St. Olaf College and Iowa State University. She taught school and is now in the insurance business. She lives in Littleton, Colorado, and has four children.

Rodney, a graduate M.D. from Iowa University, spent two years in the army, one year in Viet Nam. He is a doctor in Sac City, Iowa, and has four children.

Mary Jane (Namtvedt) graduated from Iowa University, and works in biochemistry research at the University of Illinois.

Mardel (Olson) graduated from Fairview Hospital, Minneapolis, Minnesota, as an R.N. She lives near Cross Plains, Wisconsin, and has three children.

Paul, a graduate of Iowa State, is a farm loan assistant in a bank in Maquoketa, Iowa.

Oscar passed away in December of 1967, having lived his entire life on the John Miller farm. His wife still resides on the farm, having lived there for over fifty years.

OBITUARY OF JOHN MILLER
Source: Rock Valley Bee (11-29-1940)
Born: April 17, 1864
Died: November 21, 1940
John Miller, a pioneer resident of Sioux County, passed away at his home at Rock Valley early Thursday morning, November 21, at the age of 76 years, 7 months and 4 days.
The deceased was born April 17, 1864, at Elgin, Iowa, where he grew to manhood. He came to this vicinity in 1884 and farmed in Garfield Township with his four brothers--Alex, Louis, Radolf and Fred--for the next five years. He was the last of the five well known Sioux County Miller brothers to pass beyond.
In February 7, 1889, was married to Louisa Baude, at Elgin. After their marriage they moved onto the farm in the eastern part of Garfield township, now occupied by their son, Oscar Miller. Eleven children were born to them, four of whom had preceded their parents into eternity.
They lived there until the spring of 1926 when they moved to Rock Valley. Mr. and Mrs. Miller and some of the children spent four or five winters at St. Petersburg, Florida. Since Mrs. Miller’s death on January 12, 1929, the eldest daughter, Clara, has kept house for her father at their home in Rock Valley and also at St. Petersburg, Florida.
While in the south last winter, Mr. Miller underwent a serious operation from which he never fully recovered. He was in fairly good health, however, until October when he was confined to bed for a time. Apparent improvement in his condition made his sudden passing Thursday morning a shock to his relatives and friends.
The deceased was a regular attendant of the Peace Lutheran Church south of Rock Valley and became a communicant member of this church by his confirmation in 1923.
He leaves to mourn his departure, four sons and three daughters--Edwin and Oscar of Rock Valley, Arthur of Hudson, South Dakota, Harold of Orange City, Clara at home, Mrs. Will Serek of Hawarden, and Hilda at Waterloo, Iowa. He also leaves 15 grandchildren and numerous other relatives and friends.
Funeral services were conducted by Reverend Hugo Beyer of Peace Lutheran Church Saturday, November 23. The pallbearers were Fred A. Miller, Peter Miller, Elmer Miller, Fred Yunker, Wesley Miller, and Walter Bauder, all nephews of the deceased. The remains were laid to rest in the cemetery at the church.

5. RUDOLPH 'Rude' MILLER FAMILY
Information herein was added by submitter, Wilma J. Vande Berg, as found in a family report on ancestry.com (done by others)

Rudolph Miller was born 17 Feb 1862 at Elgin Fayette, Iowa died 9 Dec 1939 Lincoln County South Dakota. His wife was Annie Becker 22 Sep 1866 Wisconsin and died 23 Jun 1904 Lincoln County South Dakota. Their children were:

Peter Rudolf Miller born 27 Feb 1891 Garfield Township Sioux County Iowa died 15 Sep 1968 Anoka, Minnesota.

Rudolph Fred Miller born 26 Oct 1892 died 4 May 1894

Henry Julius Miller born 8 Nov 1893 Lincoln County South Dakota and died 14 Jan 1970 Berlin, Camden New Jersey

Anna Magdalena Miller born 4 Nov 1898 Lincoln County South Dakota died 18 Sep 1940 Lincoln County South Dakota, she married Harry Ezra Earll 1894-1949, They were the parents of several children.

RUDOLPH MILLER 1862 married #2: Anna Elizabeth Stessy born 1878 died 1954 and they had the following sons:

Elwin Royce Miller born 25 Apr 1907 Hudson South Dakota and died 2 Apr 1999 Rapid City, South Dakota. He married Opal Wicks 1907-1983

Glenn Casper Miller DDS born 24 Feb 1909 Hudson South Dakota died 9 Dec 2003 McHenry, Illinois

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EDWIN MILLER AND HISTORY OF FAR-VIEW FARM
Far-View Farm is located four miles south and one mile west of Rock Valley in Plato Township Section 18.

It is land bought by the five Miller brothers which is still owned by a member of the Miller family. They purchased this land in 1883 for their sister who was living in Elgin, Iowa, as she was the only member of the family who wasn’t living here. But the sister’s husband did not want to come so they never moved on it. The brothers rented it to different families through the years. The Ed Tripps, parents of George Tripp, lived on the farm for a number of years. The farm house, which is over one hundred years old, is one of the oldest houses in the area. It is still the original house, although it has been remodeled twice in the last fifty-five years.

The brothers sold their interest in the farm to their brother, John, and on March 1, 1920, Edwin, the son of John, and his bride, the former Emma Tank, moved onto the farm and Mrs. Miller still lives on it. All of their five children were born on the farm: Ruth (Mrs. Joe Franken) of Lebanon, Iowa; Inez (Mrs. Don Siefken) of Mason City, Iowa; Catharine (Mrs. Jim Munday) of Hull, Iowa; John Edwin, who now owns and lives on the farm; and Neva (Mrs. Paul Johnson) of Algona, Iowa.

Edwin Miller became the owner in 1942. He raised purebred milking shorthorns and also Poland China hogs, and he was a DeKalb seed corn dealer for twenty-one years.

On September 7, 1952, John Edwin Miller was married to Mary Lou Kilbrodt and on April 9, 1953, he entered the army and served in it for two years. When he returned to the farm, a new home was waiting for him and his wife. They started farming and after Edwin’s death in 1963, John bought the farm. Mary and John have five children: Abigail (Mrs. Dan Kersbergen), Elizabeth (Mrs. Curtis Greene), Tim, James, and Stephen.

Harry Ver Maat from Rock Valley has been a reliable help through the years, working for Ed and now for John. Through the years there have been changes made. John has several large steel bins and has automatic feeding and grinding. A large barn was built in 1920 and it is still in use. John raises pigs and feeds out cattle. The farm consists of 192 acres.

(Miss Hilda Miller, Mr. Wesley Miller, Mrs. Edwin Miller, Mrs. Oscar Miller and other members of the Miller family.)

RESEARCH NOTE: From a family history on ancestry.com done by others .
The parents of the Miller Brothers were:

Rudolf Muller born 10 Jun1815 Schupfen, Verwaltungskreis Seeland, Bern, Switzerland died 20 Nov 1884 Elgin, Fayette, Iowa.
Wife: Anne Marie Iseli born 29 Oct 1831 Schuepfen, Bern, Switzeland died 5 Jan 1902 Elgin, Fayette, Iowa.
Children including the fore mentioned five brothers.

1. Alexander Miller 1856-1936
2. Louisa Miller 1858-1858 died infant
3. Louis Miller 1858-1923
4. Mary Ann Miller 1860-1932 died 10 Sep 1932 Mrs. Adolph Baumgartner.
5. Rudolph Miller 1862-1939
6. John Miller 1864-1940
7. Lydia Miller 1866- died 3 March 1937 Mrs. Alex Yunker (See obit on Home page)
8. Fred Miller 1868-1931
9. Rosa Miller 1871-1979 died young Elgin IA.
10. Lena Miller 1873-1885 died young Elgin, IA

Photos: See more family pictures at:
http://iagenweb.org/sioux/Atlas1908/P4S3/garfield/Page_14.htm

Click on the individual pictures to make them bigger.
Photos of Alex Miller, Alex Yunker home, John Miller home, and Fred Miller home.

Photo of the seven Miller children:

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