This person is my { } great grandparent or

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

 

Christian Roos b. 1859

/ Kirstin Miller

Christian Roos 3rd great uncle on RootsMagic tree
Christian (named for his grandfather Christian Renistra) Roos was born in Harlingen, Netherlands or maybe Germany. In early August 1862 he was 3 years old and sailed, on the Adler, with parents and 3 older siblings to New York, arriving on August 18, 1862. From New York the family went to Ogle County, Illinois and then in 1880 they were living in Butler County, Iowa.

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Roos, Chris potetntial politicsIn 1885 Christian ‘Chris’ married Geske ‘Grace’ Lubberts and they both owned farm land including the Riverside Stock Farm run by their sons, Bertus (named for his Lubberts grandfather) and George. Chris and Grace also had 3 daughters who married and then farmed in the area. Chris lived to age 92 in the Aplington, Iowa area. He and his wife are buried in Pleasant View Cemetery.

There may be more to Chris’s story. August of 1912, a Chris Roos is elected Supervisor of 2nd district, Albion Township, maybe at the Democratic (state or county) Convention. In the Iowa Recorder of August 21st is the National Ticket with presidential candidate Woodrow Wilson at the top of list, then vice president, governor, etc. and Chris Roos Supervisor at the bottom. Probably this Christian Roos.

1917 Atlas of Butler County, Iowa (Mason City, IA: Anderson Publishing Co., 1917); image 17 of 48 shows land owned, image 33 of 48 lists businesses in Monroe township.

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 

Eleazer Arnold House

/ Kirstin Miller

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Eleazer Arnold 9th great grandfather on RootsMagic tree.
“Eleazer Arnold builder of the noted 17th century stone-end chimney house was a typical representative of second generation Rhode Islander settlers … Such were the conditions in Rhode Island as pictured by travelers of a period only fifty years after Eleazar Arnold created his mansion in 1687 on the Great Road to Mendon. The land he built on was fifty acres left to him by his father at “Worlds End” near Scott’s pond”.

Image 10 of 19, page 81. Eleazer Arnold House July 1952 Volume 2 No. 3 at Rhode Island Historical Society link to the publication page with an explanation of the journal. Link to the actual journal.

 

John Smith banished

/ Kirstin Miller

John Smith 11th great grandfather on RootsMagic tree.

John Smith, the Miller, of Providence Rhode Island, some of his descendants by Charles Farnham page 114, image 11 of 19

Ordered, that John Smyth shalbe sent within theis 6 weekes out of this jurisdiccon, for dyvers dangerous opinions, wch hee holdeth, & hath dyvulged, if in the meane tyme he removes not himselfe out of this plantacon Jn Smith banish’t

Records of the Governor and company of the Massachusetts Bay
Volume 1 page 159

https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uma.ark:/13960/t0gt5x713;view=1up;seq=183

john smith

Roger Williams b. 1602

/ Kirstin Miller

Roger Williams 10th great grandfather on RootsMagic tree

Williams, Roger A Key_ Of the WordsRoger Williams was born in 1602 in London and is known for a lot: he founded Rhode Island, he wrote many books including A key into the Language of America: A help to the Language of the Natives in that part of America called New England, he founded the still standing First Baptist Church and so much more.

Direct descendancy from Roger Williams is pretty well proven through Dexter Angell (VII 1.) who mentions daughter Delia in his will. Delia is the bonafide mom of Matilda Flood who married Richard Mockford and they are parents of Philippa Flood Mockford Speedy, aka great grandma Speedy. Roger Williams of Province, RI by Anthony, Bertha Williams at HathiTrust this same book is used by the Roger William Family Association as a source.

Roger Williams Park and Betsy's houseIn 1871 Roger Williams’s 3rd great granddaughter Betsy Williams donated 100+ acres of land to the state of Rhode Island with the condition that it be used as a public space for everyone and have a statue of Roger Williams. There is actually a book saved about this whole event, Ceremonies at the unveiling of the monument to Roger Williams at HathiTrust

And the People’s Park

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

Ethel Speedy b. 1880

/ Kirstin Miller

Ethel Speedy, 2nd great aunt  on RootsMagic tree.

Ethel was born 8 July 1880 in Butler County, Iowa. On the 1895 Iowa census Ethel age 17, her dad Manford 55, mom Elizabeth Stewart Speedy 43, siblings Eva 20, Harve 11 and Ernest 6 years old live in the Jackson Township of Butler County. And under one roof they respect 3 religions: Manford is Baptist, Elizabeth is Methodist, Eva and Ethel are Congregationalist.

3 religions

“Iowa State Census, 1895,” database with images, FamilySearch

Also on the census Ethel is a teacher, she Ethel taught at Walnut Grove in 1904 and at Belle Plaine in 1908.  November 25, 1909 Ethel married LeRoy Mead. Herman Wild, husband to Ethel’s sister Eva is witness to the marriage. The Meads stayed in Allison, Iowa for a while then moved to Marengo, Iowa. Roy Mead was a clothing clerk then an insurance salesman. From Ethels’s obituary, before her death she was at the University of Iowa hospitals. Her sister Eva and husband Herman Wild and her brother Harve and wife Philippa Mockford ‘had been with her much of the time since then.’ Ethel died on May 30, 1939. Ethel and Roy Mead are buried at Allison Cemetery.

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Thursday, June 4th, 1908

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Thursday, February 4th, 1904

Newspaper snapshots from the Clarksville (Iowa) Star, Digital Archives of the Clarksville Public Library.

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