Biography - Samuel Miller
SAMUEL MILLER is an intelligent and enterprising member of the farming
community of Moweaqua Township. He was born in Somerset, Perry County, Ohio,
December 12, 1833. His father, George Miller, was a native of Pennsylvania.
He removed to Ohio in pioneer times, and his last years were passed in
Somerset, where he carried on his trade as a stonemason. He served with
credit as a soldier during the Mexican war. He married Susan, daughter of
Frederick Leathers, and a native of Fairfleld County, Ohio, of which her
father was an early pioneer. She came to Illinois in 1854, and her last
years were passed in a home southeast of Shelbyville.
When our subject was seven years old he went to live with Peter Kesler, a
farmer of Fairfield County, Ohio. He remained with him two years, and then
went to Preble County, and was with Reuben Pottenger two years. He then
returned to his old home to live with his mother, who had married a second
time, becoming the wife of Samuel Potter. He remained an inmate of his
step-father's household until he was eighteen years old. At that age he went
to Dayton, in his native State, to serve an apprenticeship of three years to
learn the trade of a carriage smith. At the expiration of that time he did
journey-work at Troy, Ohio, and later at Indianapolis and Lafayette, Ind.,
at St. Louis, Mo., and at Bloomington, Ill. In 1859 he started for the
Pacific coast, going by the way of the Isthmus, and for two months he worked
at his trade at San Francisco. From there he went to Portland, Ore. and was
employed in the same way in that city the ensuing three months. We next hear
of him at Cloverdale, in the same State, where he opened a shop and carried
on business as a carriage manufacturer three years. His place of residence
after that for some time was at Eugene City, where he engaged in
manufacturing carriages until 1864.
In the year last mentioned Mr. Miller returned eastward as far as this
State, and was a resident of Mattoon one year. He then went back to
Portland, resumed business as a carriage manufacturer, and while there took
a Government contract to build army wagons. He remained in that city until
1868, and then conducted business at his trade in Albany, Ore. In 1870 he
left that place and once more came to Illinois. He bought a farm in Long
Grove Township, this county, and gave his attention to agriculture. Two
years later he rented his farm, and going back to Oregon bought property at
Albany, and resumed the manufacture of carriages and wagons, continuing in
that line until 1872. He then sold out his business and returned to his
Illinois farm, which he disposed of at a good price in 1881, and his next
venture was to engage in the sale of groceries and agricultural implements
at Moweaqua, carrying on a thriving business the following four years. He
then sold at a good advantage, and bought the place where he now resides,
and is devoting himself assiduously to its improvement.
Mr. Miller was married first in Cloverdale, Ore., in 1864, to Miss Mary
Agnes Southwell, a native of Morgan County, Ill. Their wedded life was but
brief, as the young wife died in 1865. The second marriage of our subject,
which took place in 1867, was to Miss Mary Hand, a native of Kentucky. She
died at Albany, Ore., in 1876, leaving three children, Agnes M., Arabella
(wife of Everett Russell), and Effie Blanche. The marriage of Mr. Miller to
his present wife, formerly Sarah J. Defenbacker, was solemnized in 1877, and
has brought them two children, Cora Edna and Samuel. Mrs. Miller is a native
of Decatur, Ill., and a daughter of Dr. Defenbacker, who was a German by
birth, and was one of the pioneer physicians of Decatur.
A certain energy and force of character, versatility and shrewd business
tact have marked the acts of our subject ever since he began the battle of
life on his own account, and have helped to place him among the substantial
citizens of the county. He and his wife occupy a good position socially, and
in them the Methodist Episcopal Church has two good working members. Mr.
Miller's political sentiments are expressed by the platform of the
Republican party.
Extracted 17 Aug 2020 by Norma Hass from 1891 Portrait and Biographical Record of Shelby and Moultrie Counties Illinois, pages 699-700.
