WILLIAM F. MILLER

William F. Miller, a retired agriculturist residing in Farmington township, won a competence through the careful conduct of his farming interests in former years and is therefore enabled to spend the evening of his life in well earned rest. His birth occurred in Mecklenburg, Germany, on the 4th of June, 1842, his parents being Carl and Elizabeth Miller, who spent their entire lives in that country. Their children were eight in number but our subject is now the only surviving member of the family.

William F. Miller, who obtained his education in the schools of the fatherland was a youth of fourteen when in 1856 he accompanied a sister and two brothers on their emigration to the new world. Securing employment as a farm hand in Scott county, Iowa, he was thus busily engaged until 1872, when he had accumulated sufficient capital to purchase land of his own, coming into possession of a tract of one hundred and sixty acres in Farmington township, Cedar county. That farm has remained his place of abode continuously since and the many substantial improvements thereon were all made by him. As the years passed by he met with a gratifying measure of success in his agricultural interests, the fields yielding their annual tribute of golden grain as a reward for the care and labor which he bestowed upon them. When his well directed energy and enterprise had brought him a competence he put aside active work and has since lived in honorable retirement. In 1909 he purchased another quarter section of land in Farmington township, which is rented and operated by his son-in-law, Louis A. Paustain.

On the 4th of October, 1872, in Tipton, Iowa, Mr. Miller was united in marriage to Miss Lena Leth, a daughter of Henry and Betsy (Steffen) Leth, who were born and married in Germany. They crossed the Atlantic to the United States in 1873, settling in Durant, this county. Henry Leth still survives and makes his home in this county with his son, Henry, Jr., but his wife has passed away. Mr. and Mrs. Miller are the parents of ten children, seven daughters and three sons, namely: Bertha, who is the wife of Christian Cook, of Lyon county, Iowa; Emma, who gave her hand in marriage to Charles Schiele, Jr., and resides in Cedar county; Meta, the wife of Richard Schroeder, of Minnesota; Winnie, who wedded Theodore Schroeder and like-wise makes her home in Minnesota; Clara, who is the wife of Louis A. Paustain and lives on her father’s farm in this county; Lillie and Walter, both at home, and Hulda, who is a teacher in the public schools of Cedar county.

In politics Mr. Miller is a democrat, believing firmly in the principles of that party. He has continuously served as township school treasurer since 1885 and has been township trustee for thirty-five years, holding both positions at the present time. He also acted as road supervisor for one year and has ever proved a most capable and trustworthy public official. Fraternally he is identified with the Knights of Pythias at Sunbury, while his religious faith is indicated by his membership in the German Lutheran church, to which his wife and children also belong. Although born across the water, he is thoroughly American in spirit and interests and most loyal in his devotion to the stars and stripes.