The history of M. H. Miller cannot fail to prove of interest to the readers of this volume, for he is a native son of Cedar county, one of the most prominent business men of Tipton and a citizen of wide acquaintance and popularity. While he has been connected wit various business interests, he is perhaps best known as a merchant, having for many years engaged in the furniture business while at the present time he is giving his attention to financial affairs as the president of the Cedar County State Bank.
One of Cedar county’s native sons, Mr. Miller was born at Pleasant Hill in Sugar Creek township, January 18, 1854, and has always resided in this county, remaining to the age of twenty-five years upon the farm which was his birth
place and the home of his parents, Martin G. and Elizabeth (Rider) Miller. Both the father and mother were natives of Pennsylvania, the former born January 27, 1811, and the latter in June 18 of the same year. They were married in the Keystone state and on coming to Iowa in 1853 settled first in Muscatine county but after a few months removed to Pleasant Hill, Cedar county, where the father secured land and carried on farming until the death of his wife in March, 1876. He afterward came to Tipton and spent his last two years with a son in Cherokee county, Iowa, where he died January 1, 1895.
Martin G. Miller followed merchandizing for a short time in Pennsylvania but afterward became a clergyman of the United Brethren church and devoted his life to the work of the ministry until he removed to Iowa. His attention was then given to farming until he retired from business life, but he remained always a local minister of the church. He took an active part in the public life of Cedar county and for many years served as county surveyor, to which position he was elected upon the republican ticket. He engaged in school teaching in early manhood in Pennsylvania and also for a short period in Iowa. His noble character and upright life made him uniformly beloved and at his passing he left an example well worthy of emulation. During the latter part of the Civil war he had served in the Christian commission for about a year.
In his family were ten children, all of whom were born in Pennsylvania with the exception of M. H. Miller, of this review. John R., the eldest, died in Crawford county, Iowa. Jacob B. died in Wilton, Iowa, in the fall of 1909, after retiring from farm life. George W., of Independence, Iowa, served for three years in Company D of the Eleventh Iowa Volunteer Infantry and was for three terms county recorder of Cedar county. J.J., who was a soldier of the Civil war as a member of Company D., Eleventh Iowa Infantry, is now a merchant at Scotia, Nebraska. W.O., who enlisted from Cedar county as a member of Company C, Twenty-fourth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, died in Winchester, West Virginia, during the progress of the war as the result of wounds received at the battle of Cedar Creek. Wireman, who was also in Company D, Eleventh Iowa Regiment, is now living in Sioux City, Iowa, and for three terms has served in the state legislature. Maggie A. became the wife of Lieutenant F. M. Walker of Wilton Junction and is now deceased, but her husband is living in California. David died in infancy. Edmund is a farmer of Emmet county, Iowa. Four of the sons and the father were all in the south the same time during the war, the sons all enlisting from this county.
M.H. Miller has always resided in Cedar county, remaining upon the farm which was the place of his birth until twenty-five years of age, the district schools affording him his educational privileges. In October, 1879, he came to Tipton and here entered the furniture and undertaking business at his present location on Cedar Street. He has carried on the furniture business to the present time and was alone as sole proprietor until 1906, when he admitted his son Charles L. to a partnership under the firm style of M. H. Miller & son. He extended the field of his activity when, on the 9th of October, 1907, he was elected president of the Cedar County State Bank and has since been active in its direction and control. In 1892 he was made a director of the Cedar County Bank, which was the predecessor of the Cedar County State Bank. He has farming interests in Emmet county and a large tract of land in Colorado and western Kansas. He is likewise a stockholder in the Tipton Canning Company and thus is prominently connected with the industrial, commercial and financial interest of his native city.
Moreover, he has figured prominently in local political circles and is an active republican, recognized as a leader in the party. He was a member of the city council at the time the city water-works and electric lights were installed and was in favor of the progressive movements which have greatly benefited the city. Neither is Mr. Miller unmindful of his obligations in the work of moral development here. He is an active official member of the Methodist Episcopal church, was secretary of the building committee at the time of the erection of the new house of worship and is the secretary of the board of church trustees. Fraternally he is connected with Cedar Lodge, No. 11, A.F. & A.M., which he joined in 1896 and of which he is now a past master. He also belongs to Alhambra Lodge, No. 79, K.P.
Mr. Miller has been married twice. On the 26th of December, 1876, he wedded Mary A. Leech, who was born in Sugar Creek township, this county, and died April 18, 1878. She was a daughter of Judge J. H. Leech, who served as probate judge of the county at an early day. There was one son, Charles, born of the first marriage and he is now his father’s partner in the furniture and undertaking business, acting as manager of the store since Mr. Miller became president of the bank. He was born in Sugar Creek township, April 18, 1878, and is a graduate of the Tipton high school, having completed the course in 1895. At that time he entered his father’s store as clerk and, closely applying himself to the mastery of the business and acquainting himself with every department of the trade, he became in 1905 a partner and manager the next year. He married Miss Blanche Farrier, a native Wilton, Iowa, and a daughter of T. D. Farrier. Charles Miller is regarded as an exemplary young man and a leader in business circles. He holds membership in the Methodist Episcopal church and is also identified with the Masons and the Knights of Pythias.
For his second wife M. H. Miller chose Miss Dollie Sheldon, whom he married on the 29th of September, 1881. She was born in Center township, Cedar county, October 26, 1856, and was a daughter of Hon. C. P. Sheldon. In 1905 Mr. Miller was called upon to mourn the loss of his second wife, who died on the 23d of July of that year, leaving a son, Clar3e S. Miller, who was born in Tipton, April 29, 1885, and is a graduate of the high school of this place. After completing his course here he entered Cornell College at Mount Vernon and was there graduated in June, 1906. He is now engaged in the real-estate business at Steamboat Springs, Colorado. He married Winifred Warren, of Mount Vernon.
Aside from his activity in other directions Mr. Miller assisted in the organization of the Iowa Funeral Directors’ Association and was active in legislation whereby all funeral directors are required to secure a license. For three years he served a secretary and treasurer of the society and was its president for one year. He has been in business in Tipton continuously since 1879 and is the oldest merchant in the city in years of continuous connection with trade interests here. The many lines in which he has been interested have profited by his cooperation, feeling the stimulus of his sound judgment and well defined plans. His life history illustrates what may be accomplished by tireless energy, keen perception, a genius for devising and executing the right thing at the right time, joined to every day common sense – a quality which is too often lacking in the business world. While he has met with success in his undertakings, it has not been alone the end for which he was striving, for at the same time he has found opportunity to cooperate in the movements and projects which have furthered the intellectual, moral, political and social interests of the community.
