Miller, Faber b. 1905

Francis Bushnell b. 1609

/ Kirstin Miller

Francis Bushnell 10th great grandfather on RootsMagic tree.

Francis was born in 1609 probably in Sussex England. On June 27, 1631 he married Mary Grombridge in Horsham Parish, Sussex, England. Page 46 The parish register of Horsham at HathiTrust.

April 10, 1635 Francis and Mary sailed from London on The Planter and landed in Boston on June 7. On the ship were farmers, curriers, servants, shoemakers, tailors, glovers. From Boston the Bushnells went to Saybrook, Connecticut – now called Old Saybrook. Francis was a carpenter and a miller. He built the first gristmill in Saybrook and received land in exchange for running the mill. Francis was a deacon in the Saybrook Church. Page 75 The First Church of Christ (Congregational), Old Saybrook, Conn.

Frances and Mary had 8 children. Francis’s death is recorded, “ Deacon Francis Bushnell deceased this life December 4th, 1681” he was 72.

StMaryHorshamSt Marys Horsham image at The History of St. Marys 2015

Marah Smith b. 1686, Isaac Tubbs b. 1675

/ Kirstin Miller

Marah Smith and Isaac Tubbs 7th great grandparents, on RootsMagic tree.

Marah Smith and Isaac Tubbs married in 1709 about 30 years after their fathers and grandfathers were on opposite sides of a 1670 Colonial riot. Marah Smith’s 2 grandfathers Richard Smith and John Huntley rioted on the Lyme side. Isaac Tubbs’s father and grandfather rioted on the New London side.

In Colonial Connecticut a 2 mile strip of land was part of ongoing land disputes. In May 1668 Lyme was incorporated, New London, Connecticut was already a town, when the Court made a judgement on the land: that it would be ’ministry land’ for the town ministers, one side for Lyme, the other for New London. Men from New London protested and accused their leaders of not truly representing the people. The 1668 Court ruling held, until August of 1671. 30 men from New London set out to mow the ministry land, they were met by a group of men from Lyme planning to mow their minister’s land, and the riot started. The Lyme constable put New London men in prison, the New London constable put Lyme men in the town prison. After a while leaders met and “drinking a dram together with som(e) seeming friendship, every man departed to his home” and decided to let the Courts again make a decision about the continuing land dispute. March 1672 the Court charged and fined men for rioting. From New London: Samuel Tubbs (father of Isaac Tubbs) and Isaac Wiley (grandfather of Isaac Tubbs). From Lyme: John Huntley and Richard Smith (grandfathers of Marah Smith). The court fined each town, but the Court eventually forgot about the fines or paid the fines and the disagreement just sort of died out.

The public records of the Colony of Connecticut volume 2 page 558 at HathiTrust

William Lewis b. 1594

/ Kirstin Miller

William Lewis 10th great grandfather on RootsMagic tree

William Lewis was born in Cardiff, Wales January of 1594. In 1620 he married Felix Collins also of Wales. On June 22, 1632 William, Felix and their young son William Jr. sailed from London to New England, arriving in Boston on September 16, 1632.

Lewis, Wm and family

Page 101, Planters of the Commonwealth by Banks, an Ancestry . com source

John Winthrop of New England kept a journal in 1630s and 40s, one thing he recorded was ships arriving and leaving. “He brought one hundred and twenty three passengers whereof fifty children, all in health, they had been twelve weeks aboard and eight weeks from Land’s end.”

Winthrop the Lyon

Volume 1 page 92 The Winthrop journals at HathiTrust

The Winthrop Journals are at HathiTrust  more info on John Winthrop at Wikipedia 

William settled first in Cambridge and was a freeman on Nov 6, 1632. He moved to Hartford then Farmington, Connecticut where he was a selectmen, constable and deputy. As a selectmen William would have helped put his new town together, selectmen explained at Wikipedia  “In most New England towns, the adult voting population gathered annually in a town meeting to act as the local legislature, approving budgets and laws. Day-to-day operations were originally left to individual oversight, but when towns became too large for individuals to handle such work loads, they would elect an executive board of, literally, select(ed) men to run things for them.”

William wrote and signed a will August 30, 1683, his estate was settled December 18 1683, his son William was executor. “I William Lewis, being stricken in years, do think it meet to set in order the Estate which God hath graciously given me.” Volume 1 page 331 A digest of the early Connecticut probate records at HathiTrust.

William Lewis 1594 – 1683
William Lewis 1620 – 1690
Mary Lewis  1645 – 1690
Hannah Judd  1681 – 1747
Hannah Smith  1711 – 1785
Prudence Risley  1735 – 1816
Joseph Gaines  1756 – 1841
Obed Gaines  1793 – 1877
William Newcomb Gaines  1825 – 1907
Mary Ella Gaines  1855 – 1917
William E Miller  1879 – 1949
Faber W Miller  1905 – 1957

Elbert Howard b. 1791

/ Kirstin Miller

Elbert Howard 5th great grandfather on RootsMagic tree

Elbert Howard was born in Georgia around 1791. In 1811 he was in Knox, Kentucky, in 1820 Lawrence, Indiana, 1840 in Lake, Illinois and by 1855 in Floyd County, Iowa. Elbert married Phone McNeil in 1811 in Kentucky, after her death he married Rachel Burlingham. Rachel and Elbert’s marriage was ‘the first marriage license granted by the County of Lake issued out of the Commissioners’ Court under date of September 10, 1839’. A history of Lake County, Illinois page 71 a free ebook at HathiTrust.

On June 15 1855 Elbert purchased 160 acres of land. Certificate 23,975 Elbert Howard of Floyd County, Iowa, 160 acres, 15 June 1855. Howard, Elbert 1855 land purchase

In 1857 he was appointed postmaster of Howardville, Iowa. Elbert Howard and some of his family are buried in the Howardville Cemetery. 

Ancestry . co sources: U.S., Appointments of U. S. Postmasters, 1832-1971, Kentucky, County Marriages, 1783-1965 and U.S. General Land Office Records, 1796-1907.

 

Jake Miller b. 1841

/ Kirstin Miller

Jake Miller 3rd great uncle,  on RootsMagic tree

Jacob Miller was born August 6, 1841 in Elkhart, Indiana the 3rd child of 9. The family farmed, the kids went to school. Jake’s dad died when he was 13 and soon after the family moved to Iowa close to where his older sister, now married, was living near Nashua, Iowa.

Jake stayed single. In his later years he lived with his bother Jame’s family, then with his nephew James Archard Miller and family. When his brother James D married Mary Ella Gaines, Jake is on the marriage record testifying to the bride and groom’s ‘competent age and condition’. On census records Jake is a farmer, a horse breeder and a horse trainer. He lived in Janesville, Bristow and Greene, Iowa and was a welcome guest in the Janesville Waverly area. On the 4th of July 1885. “Mr Jacob Miller was down from near Bristow to spend the 4th with his friends around Janesville. Jake is always a welcome guest in these parts.”

Miller, Jake obituary

 

Sarah Swain b. 1838

/ Kirstin Miller

Sarah Swain 3rd great grandmother on RootsMagic tree.

Sarah was born March 19, 1838 in Waukegan, Illinois to Benjamin and Polly Howard Swain, some of the first settlers in the area. Polly was from Kentucky, Benjamin from New England. Benjamin died when Sarah was about 10 and her mom Polly remarried Jacob Montgomery, also a widow then the family moved to Chickasaw, Iowa, where Sarah married William N. Gaines in 1854 at age 16. Sarah and William had children, 5 lived to adulthood. Sarah kept house and helped her husband with farming, running a hotel and being a postmaster. She was active in her church and was known for her generosity and ‘ministering to the sick and the afflicted’. Sarah Ann Swain Gaines is buried at Oakland Cemetery near Janesville. The headstone from 1889 is fading fast. Inscribed: Sarah A. (wife of) Wm N Gaines born Mar 19 1839 died Sep 21 1889. There were probably carvings along the top edge, flowers or swirls and maybe something at the bottom.

Swain, Sarah 1889 obituary“Janesville
Mrs Gaines whose serious illness I have mentioned several times died last Saturday night. Was buried from the house on Tuesday Rev. Hoekyn officiating. In the death of Mrs. Gaines the community has lost one of its most valuable members. Naturally generous and kind her greatest pleasure was in doing good. In ministering to the sick and the afflicted she had but few equals. She leaves a husband and four children to mourn her loss, all of whom were with her at her time of death. Her brother Mr. Montgomery of Wadena Minnesota and her uncles, John and James Howard, from Charles City and Nashua were down to attend the funeral services.”

Swain, Sarah 1889 funeral card

Sarah Gaines d. September 21, 1889

Sources 

Henry Miller b. 1789

/ Kirstin Miller

Henry Miller b. 1789 4th great grandfather Henry Miller in RootsMagic tree

Henry was born in 1789 in Pennsylvania and is newly added as the father of Peter Miller b. 1827. Researching Peter in Waverly newspapers, he visited Canton, Stark County, Ohio a lot and in June of 1898 he visited with daughter in law Fiana Druckenbrod Miller, both were attending family reunions. It turned out the Stark, Ohio newspaper actually recorded Peter Miller’s visit and featured a full page article about the famous Miller family reunion with perhaps 500+ Millers attending.Miller family reunion 1898

The article is in the Stark County (Ohio) Democrat newspaper of 1898 June 30, provided by Stark Library. https://starklibrary.org/home/genealogy/digital-archives/

Henry Miller was born about 1782 in Pennsylvania, probably Berks County and probably descended from parents or grandparents who arrived from Germany.  He married Elizabeth Fryberger, they moved to Ohio around 1810 and were pioneers in the area. Henry was a widow around 1834 and married again, he may have had 12 children total. An 1830 census shows him and his family in Stark, Ohio. Before 1850 only the heads of homes names were recorded so the 1830 census has Henry Miller and 9 other people identified by tick marks in an age and gender category. Henry is second from bottom on this list. There also an Ohio marriage record for Henry and Julia Essig Troxel, both widowed, they married October 4, 1835 in Stark, Ohio.

Peter Miller b. 1827

/ Kirstin Miller

Peter Miller, 3rd great grandfather on RootsMagic tree

Update: In June 1898, Peter and daughter in law Fiana Druckenbrod Miller traveled to family reunions in Stark County, Ohio. Fiana attended the Bair reunion, Fiana’s mom was Elizabeth Bair. Peter attended the Miller reunion, which was in the newspaper and gives details on Peter’s father and siblings. Peter’s family left Pennsylvania for Ohio, and migrated from Germany. Peter’s mom’s, possibly his dad’s family have a lot of history.

Miller family reunion 1898

Peter Miller was born Feb 2, 1827 in Stark County, Ohio, and lived in Canton. He grew up on a farm. On June 3, 1949 Peter married Esther Young. Around 1867 at the age of 40, Peter, Esther, and their 9 children moved to a farm near Waverly, in La Fayette Township, Bremer County, Iowa. Peter died on August 25, 1912 in Amery, Wisconsin. He was living with son William, and family. Peter is buried in Andrews Cemetery outside Waverly, Iowa. Some of Peter’s life is documented in the Waverly, Iowa  newspapers of the time.

1892 Aug 25 page 5 of the Waverly Republican –https://is.gd/TofPAp.
Peter Miller is painting his house and barn on his farm in La Fayette and fixing up generally

1887 Mar 11 page 5 of the Waverly Democrat –https://is.gd/Y5sXr4.
Peter Miller living in LaFayette has a cow that is worth bragging about, It is twenty one years old and during her lifetime has given birth tp 19 splendid calves the last two being a pair of twins. And what is more she is still a good milker and promises yet to live many years.

1898 September 15 page 4 of Bremer County Independent –https://is.gd/phWT6v.
Peter Miller was appointed as judge for the upcoming General Election in Lafayette township.

1901 August 22 page 5 of the Waverly Democrat –https://is.gd/JodKen
Peter Miller will leave Monday for a visit to his old home at Canton, Ohio. He will be gone about 6 weeks.

Peter visited Canton, Ohio often, so did his wife Esther and their daughter in law Fiana Druckenbrod. Peter happened to be in Canton for the funeral of President William McKinley 

1901 October 3 page 5 of the Waverly Democrat –https://is.gd/ADVOwn.
Peter Miller returned Thursday morning from his visit at Canton, Ohio, the home of the late President. Mr Miller was present at his burial services, which he describes as being “grand beyond description”.

Canton, Ohio public square

Public Square in Canton, Ohio c. 1907-1915, US historical postcard snapshot

Fronica Meinzer b. 1763

/ Kirstin Miller

Fronica Meinzer, my 5th great grandmother on RootsMagic tree.

Fronica -her name could have been Verona, Veronica or Fronica, all appear on records- was born about 1763 to Conrad and Elizabeth Hibshman Meinzer. The Meinzer family lived in Pennsylvania, in the Lancaster area, on a farm, part of the Pennsylvania Dutch or Deutsch community. Fronica’s dad Conrad died in 1781 and mentions his children in his will “All my lands shall be divided into six plots the share that I live on at present shall be appointed to my son John and the other five shares to Catharina, Anna Maria, Verona, Frederick and Conrad until all of my heirs are made equal.”

Fronica and Mathias marriage

General Washington in New York

Fronica married Mathias Druckenbrod on November 25, 1783. They married on the exact day the British troops left New York, called Evacuation Day, there were parades, monuments and more. Part of the 1783 celebration was General Washington arriving in New York then during the next weeks riding on through New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and then Maryland where he met with the Confederation Congress and formally retired as Commander in Chief and finally returned to his home.

News traveled very slowly in 1783 so Mathias and Fronica may not have known what was happening 160 miles to the east as they exchanged wedding vows.

Sources

Allen Preston Gaines b. 1900

/ Kirstin Miller

Allen Preston Gaines 1st cousin 1x removed (1 generation back) from Faber Miller who married Gladys Cable. Allen’s aunt Mary Ella Gaines Miller was grandmother to Faber Sr.

Allen Preston Gaines was born September 25, 1900 in Wadena, Minnesota, the oldest child of Charles and Mary Trewie Gaines. Allen and his family were in Lane, Oregon when Allen was 10 years old, then in Everett, Washington by 1920 when Allen was 20. Allen married Mary Ingram April 4, 1925, they settled in Boise Idaho, raised a family then in later years moved back to the Everett, Washington area where both are buried.

Allen was an apprentice mariner on the SS Emergency Fleet Corporation at the Port of Seattle and has a record: Applications for Seaman’s Protection Certificates, which includes a photo, thumbprint, physical description and identifying details, including tattoos if any. This application was a passport and provided protection on sea voyages from -forced recruitment by navies of other nations-. The Protection Certificates began in the American Revolution, disappeared for a while, returned around WW 1 then were obsolete by the 1940s, more at Wikipedia: Protection papers

Gaines, Allen 1919 page 2 application for Seaman's protection

Allen Preston Gaines March 7 1919