02nd

James Davis Miller b. 1845

/ Kirstin Miller

James Davis Miller b. 1845 2nd grandfather on RootsMagic tree .

James Miller was born June 27, 1845 in Indiana. In 1850 the US census has James in Elkhart, Indiana with his parents and 7 siblings. In 1854 James’s dad Jacob Miller died so his mom Sarah and now 8 kids trekked from Indiana to Nashua, Iowa about 400 miles. An older sister of James’s was living in Nashua. In 1870 James and brothers have a farm, they’re living near Janesville.  In Waverly, Iowa on November 13, 1878 James, sometimes went by JD, married Mary Ella Gaines who sometimes went by Ella.

Agricultural Palace Lewis and Clark Expo 1905

Agricultural Palace 1905 Lewis and Clark Expo in Portland.

JD and Mary Ella farmed, had 2 sons William and James A, and visited the west coast at least once in 1905 for the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition. In 1925 James lived with his son William and family including grandson Faber b. 1905. James lived to age 84 he died in 1929. From his obituary, “He has been industrious and has prospered through the years. He was honorable in his dealings with his fellows and is highly respected by those who knew him.” James is buried in Rose Hill Cemetery, Greene, Iowa.
Miller, James and Ella snapshot

“Iowa, County Marriages, 1838-1934,” database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XJW3-JXK : 25 September 2017), James Miller and Ella Gaines, 13 Nov 1878, Waverly, Bremer, Iowa, United States; citing reference v2 p358, county courthouses, Iowa; FHL microfilm 1,034,275

Some photos of the Expo at Oregon State University Flickr site.https://www.flickr.com/photos/osucommons/sets/72157619653342096/

Johan Roose b. 1865

/ Kirstin Miller

Johann Roose b. 1865 2nd great grandfather.

Johan was born April 19, 1865 in Freeport, Illinois. His dad Garbrand, mom Catharina, 2 brothers and 2 sisters landed in New York August 12, 1862  The family is listed as Roos on their New York passenger list. Johan also went by John, on a marriage record he is Joseph, he began using Roose as his last name, the rest of his family kept Roos.

Johann is with his family on census records in 1870, Ogle, Illinois near Freeport then in 1885 in Grundy Center, Iowa. March 14, 1888 Johann marries Lena Wisbar in Parkersburg, Iowa then he and Lena move to Jefferson Township a few miles north. In 1917 Johan farmed near Bristow. By 1925 at age 60 he was living in Allison with Lena and youngest daughter Lela. Johan died at age 61 on October 18, 1926. He is buried at Allison Cemetery in Allison, Iowa.
Roose, Johan and Lena marry snapshot
“Iowa, County Marriages, 1838-1934,” database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/KC49-WFT: 4 November 2017), Joseph W Boas and Lena Wisbach, 14 Mar 1888, Parkersburg, Butler, Iowa, United States; citing reference p 168, county courthouses, Iowa; FHL microfilm 1,035,397.

Eliza Frey Cable b. 1823

/ Kirstin Miller

Eliza Frey could be the grandmother of Gladys Cable who married Faber Miller. Eliza on RoostMagic tree.

Eliza was born abt. 1823 and married Jonathan Cable abt. 1846. Their first son John was born March 22, 1847 in Somerset, Pennsylvania. In 1850 the Cable family: Jonathan age 44, Eliza age 37, John age 2 and infant Chancey appear in the 1850 US Census. They’re living in Jefferson, Greene County, Wisconsin. The 1850 census is the only record for Eliza.  Records of John, Chancey and William Cable list their mom as either Eliza or Charlotte. Most likely Eliza is the mom of the first two children John and Chancey. Most likely Charlotte Knapp, who married Johnathan Cable abt. 1850, is the mom of William, Violetta and Sarah. But there’s no actual factual proof of this, yet. Eliza Frey is a mystery. In family history this is known as a “brick wall”. Eliza’s maiden name, birthdate, birthplace and place and date of death are all unknown.

screenshot

Jonathan Cable b. 1807

/ Kirstin Miller

Jonathan Cable b. 1807 2nd great grandfather.

Jonathan Cable was born in Pennsylvania, he married Eliza around 1840. By 1850 the family was living in southeast Wisconsin. Jonathan was a millwright. When Eliza died Jonathan married Charlotte Knapp. Eliza is definitely the mother of the 2 older Cable children: John and Chancey. Charlotte is probably the mom of the younger: William, Sarah and Violettta. (Available records list both Eliza and Charlotte as mom of William.) The Cable family was in Pleasant Grove, Iowa by 1865 when Jonathan paid taxes on a watch and a melodeon, like an accordion. In 1867 the Cable family was part of the first Methodist congregation in Pleasant Grove, with a pastor visiting the town every 2 weeks or so. Jonathan built the second forge in Pleasant Grove, still standing but not used in 1882. In 1895 Jonathan and son William are in the Floyd County Plat Book: Jonathan owned 80 acres and William owned 160 acres of farmland. An 1870 non-population census schedule shows Jonathan’s farm with 69 acres of improved land, 16 acres of woodland, 2 horses, 5 milch cows, 4 working oxen, 12 swine. The farm produced 436 bushels of spring wheat, 200 bushels of Indian corn 354 bushels of oats, 20 bushels of Irish potatoes, 700 pounds of butter, and 17 tons of hay. In 1885 Jonathan, Charlotte and William Cable were living on their Pleasant Grove farm with Charlotte’s dad William Knapp, a soldier in the Civil War. Jonathan’s death date and place are not for sure, burial place is unknown.

Jonathan Cable 1807 – 1895 to William Smythe Cable 1852 – 1926 to Gladys Mae Cable 1913 – 1991 m. Faber W Miller 1905 – 1957

Sources:

Volume 2 pages 840 and 843, History of Floyd County, Iowa: Chicago: Inter-state publishing co., 1882. At HathiTrust.

1870 Pleasant Grove, Floyd County Iowa, Iowa Non-Population Census Schedules, 1850-1880 at FamilySearh.

1885 Pleasant Grove, Floyd County Iowa State Census at Ancestry

1895 Plat of Pleasant Grove Township image 12 of 25, squares 19, 29, 30. Plat Book of Floyd County, Iowa at Iowa Digital Library, U of I Libraries.

Lena Wisbar b. 1871

/ Kirstin Miller

Lena Wisbar b. 1871 2nd great grandmother.

Lena Wisbar was born in Germany on May 27, 1871. At age 11 in 1882 she sailed to America and was soon living in Parkersburg Iowa. In 1888 Lena married Johan Roose. In 1900 Lena and Johan were farming in Butler County, Iowa. They had seven children and lots of grandchildren. In 1917 the Roose and Miller family were neighbors in Bristow, Iowa. (In 1905 J D and Mary Ella Miller were at the Lewis and Clark Expo in Portland, Oregon and maybe when they returned shared photos or souvenirs with their Bristow neighbors. The Miller and Roose families connected by marriage in 1961.) In 1938 and probably other years, Lena entered her needlework in the Butler County Fair and won ribbons for dining room and bedroom linens.

Sources

1938 Sep 14, page 3 of 8, column 4 mid bottom, dining room linens, 5th column top: bedroom linens in the Iowa Recorder FREE at the Greene Public Library Digital Resources

1948 Feb 16 page 7 of 16 column 1 bottom: Lena’s obituary. Waterloo Daily Courier $ at Ancestry . com

1917 Bennezette Township, page 11 (odd pages only) image 7 of 48. Atlas of Butler County Iowa 1917 Iowa counties historic atlases at Iowa Digital Library, U of I Libraries.

 

William L Miller b. 1852

/ Kirstin Miller
William L Miller was born August 1852 in Stark Ohio, his middle name may be Louis. In 1870 William was 18, the oldest of 7 children of Peter and Esther. The Miller family had moved to Bremer County, Iowa. William  was a farm laborer and attended school. He kept in touch with Fianna Druckenbrod of Stark Ohio, returned to her and they married on September 5, 1875 in Stark, Ohio.  The newlyweds settled in Bremer County, Iowa, had 7 children and farmed. Their youngest daughter Clara died in 1902 age 16. By 1905 William and Fiana were in Amery Wisconsin. William was a teamster and truck gardener. When Fiana died in 1923 William lived with his son Frank and family. William, Clara and Fiana are all buried in Andrews Cemetery near Waverly. Mary Roose Miller and I visited  summer 2017. William and Fiana’s headstone is surrounded by 5’ day lilies. Headstone without the 5′ day lilies at Find A Grave
Headstone Miller, William and Fiana Druckenbrod
Ohio, County Marriages 1789-2013 Database with images. FamilySearch.org : 7 March 2017. County courthouses, Ohio. William and Fiana’s certificate.
Great grandfather of Faber Miller b. 1905 who married Gladys Cable b. 1913
William L Miller (1852 – 1933) > Lola M Miller (1880 – 1951) > Faber W Miller (1905 – 1957) m. Gladys Cable (1913 – 1991)

Manford Byron Speedy gets a telephone 1903

/ Kirstin Miller

Our telephone exchange has enlarged somewhat recently, new ‘phones being put in the residence of M.B. Speedy, H.C. Parsons and E.J. Davis.

Manford Byron Speedy (2nd great grandfather) was born in 1838 Ohio, to William and (probably) Elizabeth Glenn Speedy. Manford is a family name given to a cousin Manford Homer Speedy and 2 of Manford’s grandsons as a middle name. In 1856, age 18, Manford left Ohio and is in Shell Rock, Iowa. In 1864 at 26 he marries Ann Eliza Coats and they have three children. Typhoid fever takes Ann and the youngest daughter’s life around 1869. In 1870 Manford is living with his Coats in-laws, his father William and his and Ann’s children. In 1874 Manford marries Elizabeth Stewart and they have 5 children.

The 1870 Agricultural Census shows Manford’s farm production: 160 total acres, 120 acres tilled, 14 acres of grassland, 3/4 acre of potatoes, 3 acres of apple trees. He had 8 milk cows, produced 700 lbs of butter, had 8 other cows with 4 calves dropped, 112 swine and 50 poultry. This poultry produced 250 dozen eggs for the year. 5 cord of wood were also produced.

Manford was known as MB and considered a noble pioneer in the Shell Rock and Allison areas of Butler County, Iowa. He was involved in local politics, he was a sheriff, farmer, general store owner and livestock buyer.

So anyway, Manford had a lot going on. Then in 1903 when he was 64 years old he gets a phone. This was such a big deal it was posted in the local newspaper. We talk about virtual reality in the 21st century. What was it like for Manford, calling on a ‘phone for the first time? His son Oscar was in San Joaqun, California , an engineer at the mineral baths in Stockton. Because the $ costs would have been pretty high I’m guessing they connected through one phone call if at all. But what was it like that instant he was speaking into a machine and could hear his son who he hadn’t seen or heard for years, what was it like to finally connect? Something would have changed, Manford and Oscar’s sense of reality forever altered, or not.

 

Sources

(Ancestry sources are $, FamilySearch.org offers an explanation on their wiki, these schedules are not at the NARA, I checked.) Ancestry.com. Selected U.S. Federal Census Non-Population Schedules, 1850-1880. Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date:  2010

“Allison news.” The Iowa (Greene) Recorder. 10 February 1903. The Digital Archives of the Greene Public Library. http://greene.advantage-preservation.com/ : 2017.