Henry Franklin MILLER
Birth:
16 Jan 1836
Fayette, Pennsylvania
Death:
14 Sep 1915
Norcater, Kansas
Marriage:
1856
Father:
Mother:
Notes:
Henry Franklin Miller (born 1/16/1836 ; died 9/14/1915)
Henry and wife EMELINE LONG farmed in Illionis until 1881. They headedWest and spent one to two years near Fall City, Nebraska. Emeline died onFeb. 24, 1882near Fall City, Ne. Henry and his children continued on andsettled in the Norcatur-Clayton area in 1884. Two girls died of tyhoid,and in June of 1885, son Wilson was struck and killed by lightning whileplowing up sod. The following is from the 100 year ago items from theOberlin Hearld.
"Clayton Chips: W. A. Miller was killed by lightning while laying sod onhis house on his claim. J. C. Brooks, who was working with Miller, wasshocked by the lightning and knew nothing for some time;his team ran awayand threw him out of the wagon which ran over him. When they found him hewas calling for Miller."
Henry wasn't one of the real early settlers, but life here wasn't easy inthe 1880's. The main concern of the settler's was raising enough to feedtheir families and livestock.
The main crop in the "beginning" was sod corn. You simply plowed up thesod and then planted the corn in the newly broken sod. Later, they triedspring wheat and then winter wheat, which was more successful. Theydidn't have much entertainment in those days because they had so muchwork on their land and course, little technology. The women of the houseprepared the meals, made the clothes, and tried to garden in order toprovide more food for the family. The men did the "strenuous' workoutside of the home. Henry's son Wilson worked with Jacob Brooks diggingwater wells and building sod houses. Their pay was less than $l~00 a daySon's George and little Llyod worked with the livestock and farming.
Clayton was the town where the family went for supplies, but they onlybought or traded for things to eat, usually the things they couldn'traise themselves, such as sugar, salt, ect.
A lot of the settlers left the county during the 1880's, due to drought,sickness, and other hardships that were too much for some of them. Somesuffered starvation when they passed from Clayton towards the Eastbecause they ran out of supplies and couln't find, or sometimes afford tostop and re-stock for the journey. The settlers that hung on and stayedon the prairie seemed to have had the idea that if they could wait itout, someday this country would be a good place to live and farm. Most ofthefirst group of settlers didn't live long enough to see their dreamsand efforts become a reality.
Henry never went to school, but was self-educated. He taught himself howto read and write. A nephew of his who lived in Pennsylvania said, "Youcould always tell when Uncle Hen was coming for a visit. His papers andjournals would start arriving and in a day or so, [he] would come walkingin from Connellaville." Henry would ride the train from Clayton to hisson's home (about 4 miles), sometimes stopping at the Brooks' for a dayor two to bring them up to date on friends and relatives in Pennsylvania.
In his day, living to be about 80 years old was unusual, but Henry was abig, robust man able to do the hard work required in the early days inKS. He was bald and, like many people of that day, had a beard.
My grandpa, Gary Miller said, "A widower with 8 children, who stuck outthe hardships of pioneering in Decatur County in the 1880's, must havebeen quite a man. I would have really liked to have known him." Henry wasmy great great great grandfather.
Written by Melissa Miller & Edited by Gary Miller
Emeline
Birth:
1840
Death:
24 Feb 1882
Near Fall City, Ne.
Father:
Blocked
Mother:
Blocked
Children
Marriage
1
Eliza MILLER
Birth:
Death:
1870
Marr:
Notes:
Elijah, was born in 1870, I have no information on this person.
2
Wilson MILLER
Birth:
1858
Check More (Notes)
Death:
Jun 1885
Killed by Lighting near Norcatur
Marr:
Notes:
Taken from the Oberlin hearld, June 1985. From the 100 year ago items.
Clayton Chips: W. A. Miller was killed by lightning while laying sod onhis house on his claim. J> C. Brooks, who was working with Miller, wasshocked by the lightning and knew nothing for some time; his team ranaway and threw him out of the wagon which ran over him. When they foundhim he was calling for Miller. WILSON, born 1858, in Fayetta Co. Pa. cameto Kansas with the family to homestead. Besides farming he also worked atdigging water wells in the area. In July of 1884, he was engaged to JacobBrooks daughter, he and Jacob were plowing up sod for Wilson's sod homewhen he was struck and killed by lightning.
Notes:
MARTHA,was born in 1862, in Fayetta Co. Pa. She married Frank Ludlow.They had two children. One child was Della Olso, who never married. Shetaught school in Hiawatha, Ks. for over 50 years. I interviewed her inthe 1970's and she provided me with a lot of information about Henry F.family. She was born Jan. 18,1889, and died sometime in the late 1980's.The other child was Howard, born June 18,1891 and died in May 1950.Martha , died December 5,1925.
Notes:
MOLLY was born Jan. 27,1863 in Fayetta Co. Pa. She mmarried MichaelMotsinger, they had two daughters, Gladys, born 1891 and died in 1969.Glayds married Burr Willis Davey. They had one child Ruby, born Sept.9,1925. Gladys spent most of her adult life in a mental institution inHastings, Ne. Her daughter Ruby, was raised by her father and knewnothing about her mother mor the rest of the family until her motherpassed away. Her mother was buied at Norcatur. Ruby, wrote to Mary Janeas city clerk wondering if anybody knew anything about her family, Iwrote her
back telling her or her aunt Lois Shick who lived at that time inColorado Spnngs ยท A foot note to all of this is Lois's cousin, Della OsloLudlow, told me Gladys wasn't any crazier than Lois All that was wrongwith Gladys was a bad temper
Lois, was born March 17,1897, and married Austin Shick..They had threechildren, John, Martitia, and Wanda. A foot note to all ot this is Loisalways blamed grand dad George for the loss of her forks land,. a part ofthe Homestead.I have papers showing that her folks borrowed $2000.00 fromLudwick Miller in Pa.to pay great grandfather Henry for the land. Unableto pay it back, Ludwick foreclosed, arid George payed it off. This alltook place in the 1890's before Lois was born.
5
Mary MILLER
Birth:
1864
Death:
Marr:
Notes:
Mary, was born in 1884. I believe she is one of the girls who died oftyhiod after they came to Kansas.
6
Birth:
11 Apr 1865
Carrol, Illinois
Death:
7 Sep 1914
Norcatur, Kansas
7
Elizabeth MILLER
Birth:
1868
Death:
Marr:
Notes:
ELIZABETH born in 1868. was probably the other one who died of tyhiod.these two girld, along with Wilson are buried in the Clayton Cemetery.
Notes:
AMANDA. was born in 1874. she was first married to a man named Rustin.They had a son named Clarence. Later she married David Johnson. Theyhad a daughter mnamed Irene Bernice. She was born October 22, 1910, atSubert, Ne. Irene married Franklin Wyatt Hull. Their children areFrancis Bernice born December 5, 1928 She married LIoyd Blockner.Dorothy,Jean born April 23, 1933.Her first husband was James Lloyd and hersecond is Edward Fritch. Next were twins Howard Earnest, and HelenEloine. Howard's first wife was Betty Oneta, his second Linda Pittenger.Helen's first husband was Kermit Rolllngs her second Francis Moore.Thetwins were born December 18, 1944, at Lyman Wy.
9
William L. MILLER
Birth:
1876
Death:
Marr:
Notes:
William L. was born in 1876, I have no information on this person.
Notes:
Lloyd, was born October 24, 1877, and died September 2, 1942. He marriedPernina Brunk on March 1, 1898. The following was written by MargaretMiller Jeffery:
My father is Lloyd Miller. He married Pernina Brunk. They had sixchildren.
Claude was born June 16, 1899.
Floyd was born October 22, 1900.
Ophia was born August 2, 1902.
Creta was born August 27, 1904.
Margaret was born June 24, 1907.
LaVena was born May 16, 1909.
About the children of Lloyd and Pernina Miller:
Claude died at the age of 5 on April 1, 1904 ofappendicitis.
Floyd married Jennie Secanne on January 31, 1923.She was a school teacher in Norcatur for many years. They had nochildren. Floyd owned and operated the Standard Station onHighway 36 for many years.
Floyd died of cancer at 72 years of age in November 1972. Jenniedied
October 27, 1982, from a blood problem.
Ophia met and married Clyde Moler on Nover 17, 1920,in Norcatur.
Clyde had just gotten out of the service in World War One whenthey moved
onto his father's farm. They had two children. Nina Marie wasborn Sep-
tember 18, 1921. Everett Raymond was born January 18, 1926.During
World War Two, Marie served in the Navy as a WAVE. Everett waskilled
in a vehicle accident while in the army in France on March 28,1945. Marie is
living in Meeker, Co., working for her son in a Gambles HardwareStore. She
had two children. Ophia died at a young 25 years on May 11,1928. She
had absesses.
Creta Letha kmet her husband Pearl Hooper whileattending her third
year of high school in Hiawatha, Kansas. They were marriedSeptember 22,
1924. Pearl was a farmer. They had four children. Betty Eileenwas born
July 24, 1928 in White Cloud, Ks. Darlene was born Nov. 29, 1935,in
Horton, Ks. Bobby David was born (ct. 30, 1942, in Omaha, Ne.Richard
Gordon was born June 6, 1946, in Hastings, Ne. Betty HooperStrowig lives
in San Diego, Ca. She and her husband had two children. DarleneHooper
James lives in Orinda, Ca. She has three children. Bobby DavidHooper
lives in Alhamisa, Ca. He has five children. Richard GordonHooper lives
in Littleton, Co., and has three children. Creta died Nov. 12,1981, of cancer
in Glendale, Ca.
I, Margaret Evaline Miller Jeffery met my husband,Ed Jeffery in high
school in Oberlin. We married June 24, 1925. He was a farmer andlater had
a trucking business. We have two children. Theresa Rogers livesin
Boulder, Co. He has worked for the government for 22 years. Shehas two
children. Edgar Paul lives in Green, NY. He served in the Navyfours years
and the Air Force 16 years. He now works on airplanes forSinger. He has
one child. My husband died June 26, 1948, from a heart attack.I'm living in Boulder, Co., in a senior citizens apartment.
Lavena Ann Miller met and married Delbert LawrenceMoler (Bub)
on Nov. 6, 1925. He was a carpenter and built houses. They hadfour
children. Donald was born May 17, 1927. Doloris was born May 14,1931.
Both were born in Norcatur. Loyd was born Oct. 24, 1927 inLittleton, Co.
Delbert L. Jr. was barn Aug. 17, 1942 in Littleton, Co. Don livesin Salida,
Co. He has three children. Doloris lives in Tucson, Az. and hasone son
Loyd who died in Jan., 1981 in open heart surgery. He has threechildren.
Delbert Jr. lives in Bennett, Co, on a farm. He works for thefire department
at Stapleton Airport in Denver. He has three children. Bub Molerdied July
3, 1963 in Denver. Lavena remarried LaVoy W. Chambers on June 6,1964.
They live in Salida, Co.
Written byMargaret Miller Jeffery
11
James MILLER
Birth:
1858
Pennsylvania
Death:
Marr:
FamilyCentral Network
Henry Franklin Miller - Emeline
Henry Franklin Miller
was born at Fayette, Pennsylvania 16 Jan 1836.
His parents were George h Miller and Charlotte Fox.
He married Emeline 1856 . Emeline was born at 1840 .
They were the parents of 11
children:
Eliza Miller
Wilson Miller
born 1858.
Martha Miller
born 1862.
Molly Miller
born 27 Jan 1863.
Mary Miller
born 1864.
George B. Miller
born 11 Apr 1865.
Elizabeth Miller
born 1868.
Amanda Miller
born 1874.
William L. Miller
born 1876.
Loyd Miller
born 24 Oct 1877.
James Miller
born 1858.
Henry Franklin Miller died 14 Sep 1915 at Norcater, Kansas .
Emeline died 24 Feb 1882 at Near Fall City, Ne. .