John H. Miller

Biography of John H. Miller, History of Clark and Crawford Counties, IL, 1883

John H. Miller of the firm of Gray & Miller, undertakers, Marshall, Ill. In an early day, the Millers came from Germany and settled in Pennsylvania. About 1767, Martin was born in Pennsylvania. He married twice, each time marrying a daughter of Samuel Hess. He moved to Ohio in 1807, and to Pike County, Ill., in 1824, where he died at an old age. His son, Martin, by his first marriage, was born in Pennsylvania April 28, 1791. Moved to Ohio, near Cincinnati, in 1807, where he married Catharine Mitchell in 1812. She was born in Pennsylvania January 6, 1791. Her father, John Mitchell, of German ancestry, was born in 1758. At the age of seventeen, he entered the Revolutionary war and served seven years, a good portion of the time a prisoner of war, confined in England. At the close of the war, he landed in Boston, married a young widow near Pittsburgh, Penn.; moved to Ohio, then to Indiana, near Indianapolis, where she died in 1838, aged eighty-four years, and he died in 1847, aged eighty-nine years. Martin and Catherine moved to Clark County, Ind., in 1824, and to Clark County, Ill., in 1852, and to Cumberland County, Ill., in 1858, where he died October 11, 1870, and she died February 6, 1877. Their son Emanuel, the third of a family of ten children, was born in Clermont County, Ohio, February 9, 1818; moved to Clark County, Ind., in 1824, where he married Nancy Hutchings, August 2, 1838. Nancy, the daughter of Esrom and Polly Hutchings, was born in Clark County, Ind., August 9, 1821. Her father was born in Virginia in 1790. His father, Joseph, was a Virginian. Esrom married Polly Fifer, in Clark County, Ind., in 1815. Polly was the daughter of Christian and Catherine Fifer, nee Headricks, of Pennsylvania. Esrom and Polly moved to Clark County, Ill., in 1856, where they both died in the winter of 1865-66. Emanuel and Nancy Miller moved to Clark County, Ill., October 11, 1844, and purchased a large farm, upon which they still reside. They had five children: William A., Mary E., Sarah E., John H., and Stephen A. Stephen A. died in 1856. William A., a member of Company F, One Hundred and Twenty-third Illinois Volunteers, was killed at the battle of Perryville, Ky., October 8, 1862. He was brought home and interred in the family cemetery. Mary E. died in 1866. Sarah E. and John H. are still living. The subject of our sketch was born in Dolson Township, Clark County, Ill., June 24, 1852, where he received the advantages of a common school education, and in 1870 became a student in Westfield College, remaining three years, making a specialty of the teachers &Mac226; course; followed teaching for about seven years, and in conjunction with his profession superintended the management of his farm in Dolson Township. He taught one year near Tuscola, Douglas County, and taught six terms in one district in Marshall Township, Clark County. He was married in Dolson Township, by Rev. J. L. B. Ellis, October 5, 1876, to Miss Sarah Lycan, daughter of Jacob G. and Mary Lycan, nee Lockard. They were among the first settlers of Dolson Township. They are still living, and celebrated their golden wedding November 2, 1882. Sarah was born in Dolson Township, October 5, 1858. They have two sons &Mac246; Walter Arthur, born September 15, 1877; Milo Ralph, born November 20, 1880. Mr. Miller lost his health by teaching school. He rented his farm and moved to Marshall August 15, 1882, and engaged in the undertaking business, associating with Lote Gray, who has been in the business for more than six years. They are proprietors of the Marshall wagon yard, on Cumberland street, where they have built a new shop for their undertaking. Hearse free for every funeral. Mr. and Mrs. Miller are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. Miller has bought property since he came to town, and is making preparations to erect a fine dwelling. His health has so improved that he has decided to make Marshall his home