Henry Miller Page 202, 203 - HENRY MILLER, an able business man,leading hardward merchant and successful general farmer, desirably located inChester Townshiup, Ottawa County, Mich., is a native of Wurtemberg, Germany, andwas born January 29, 1834. He is the son of Christian and Barbara Miller, hismother having passed away in the Fatherland in 1849. The father married again in1852 or 1853, wedding Miss Sophie Kober, also a native of Germany, with whom heemigrated to the United States in 1874, locating in Ottawa County, Mich., wherehe died in 1881, at the advanced age of eighty years. His last wife is yetsurviving. By his marriage to the mother of our subject, Christian Miller becamethe father of four children: Michael, of Ottawa County; Henry; Fred, residing inOttawa County; and Frederica, wife of Fred Ata, of this county. By his secondmarriage the father had three children: Barbara, wife of John Sehler, of GrandRapids; Regina, wife of Benjamin Wildemburg, of Chester Township; andChristiana, widow of Robert Bauer, of Grand Rapids. Henry Miller received his education in the public schools of Germany and was butfourteen years old when he began the work of life. He remained with his father,who was by occupation a farmer and nail-maker, until twenty years of age, and in1854 emigrated to America. Landing in Buffalo, N.Y., with twelve shillings inhis pocket, our subject laboriously worked six months to pay his board, andmeantime studied ambitiously at home to learn the English language. In 1855,leaving Buffalo for the farther West, Mr. Miller journeyed to Grand Rapids,where, March 6, he was met by his brother Michael, who had preceded him toAmerica by two years. For six continuous years our subject worked in GrandRapids, doing heavy teaming, hauling wood and stone. He had reached there $25 indebt but by patient toil had in 1860 amassed a small capital. At this period oftime October 10, 1860, he removed to Chester Township, and located upon section27, when this part of the country was almost entirely covered with a heavygrowth of timber. Purchasing eighty acres of land, for which he paid $650,almost his total savings, Mr. Miller erected a log house, in which he lived forsome years. When his wife, Mrs. Catherine (Fluhrer) Miller, with whom he was united inmarriage in 1857, first saw her new home she wept, and our subject admits itmust have looked a little cheerless to her, coming as she did from the city. Astime passed on, however, the appearance of the farm and its surroundings rapidlychanged. The timber, yielding to the steady strokes of the axe, gave cleared andfertile land, which, yielding to high cultivation, annually furnished abounteous harvest and buildings large and comfortable arose, residence, barnsand sheds. Financially prospered, Mr. Miller now owns over one hundred and seventeenvaluable acres, ninety-five acres of which are finely cultivated. He has alsogiven to his children about one hundred acres of excellent land. In 1884, oursubject went to Coopersville and engaged in farming for three years, and in 1888returned to Conklin, where he erected the first store building in the village,and opened it to the public with a well-selected stock of farming implements.Succeeding beyond his expectations, be built in 1889 his present spacious store,25x80 feet in size, constructed of brick, two stories in height, finely finishedin modern style, and which cost $3,000. As soon as the building was completedMr. Miller stocked with a variety of farming implements and added a large lineof hardware. Commencing business with a modest capital, he now carries acomplete stock of goods, valued at from $7,000 to $10,000, and transacts abusiness of from $15,000 to $25,000 annually, with ease supplying the increasingdemands of one of the best trades in this part of the county. The estimable wifeof our subject was a native of Germany and was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. JohnFluhrer. The pleasant home has been blessed by the birth of seven children:Elizabeth, the wife of Christian Dinkle, of Chester Township; Sophia, the wifeof Henry Weldenberg, of Wright Township; George M., Jr.; Christian, deceased;Margaret B.; Henry, deceased; and Anna B., who completes the list of sons anddaughters. Mr. and Mrs. Miller are both valued members of the Lutheran Churchand active in religious work. Our subject is, politically, a strong Democrat andhas been a member of the Democratic County Convention. He was appointed in 1886by President Cleveland the first Postmaster of the village of Conklin; foreleven consecutive years he ably discharged the duties of Township Treasurer,and for four years served faithfully as Highway Commissioner. In 1893,re-elected Township Treasurer, Mr. Miller is now with great acceptabilityholding the position of trust assigned him by his fellow-townsmen, who repose inhim the highest confidence as a friend, neighbor and citizen.

Portrait & Biographical Record of Muskegon & OttawaCounties, Michigan 1893, Chicago: Biographical Publishing Company

Transcriber: Susan Gates Davis
Created: 31 March 2003