MILLER, Mathias

MILLER, WALKER, BERKLY, LICHTY

Posted By: P. Bergmeier (email)
Date: 2/26/2005 at 08:22:00

Mathias Miller, one of the early settlers of Orange Township, was born in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, July 5, 1822, the second of thirteen children of William and Mary (Walker) Miller, both natives of the Keystone State, of German descent.

His father was born in 1797, and died in June, 1850. He was a man of sterling worth and character, importing much of his energy and habits of thrift to his children. Mathias Miller was reared to the life of a farmer, his youth being spent in assisting his father. He obtained a fair education, attending the district schools in the winter.

He remained with his parents till nearly twenty-seven years of age, when, March 5, 1849, he was married to Mary Berkly, a native of Somerset County. He remained in Pennsylvania, engaged in farming, until the spring of 1858, when, in obedience to a well-considered project for bettering his condition, he immigrated to the beautiful prairies of Iowa. For two years he lived in Waterloo, engaged in teaming, and in 1860 bought 120 acres of wild prairie land on section 22, Orange Township.

He came to Iowa with but little capital but with a strong determination to make for himself and family a home, and with this object in view he was industrious and frugal and his efforts have not been unrewarded. He now owns one of the best homes in the township, his farm at one time containing 440 acres. Of this he has given each of his three children eighty acres and now has 200 acres for his own use. His buildings were all erected with an eye to convenience and comfort.

Mr. Miller is a prominent citizen of this township and is held in high esteem by all who know him. He was one of the founders of the German Baptist Church of Orange Township and contributed liberally toward the building the church edifice. His entire family are members of the church of which he has long been one of the decons. A son of Mr. Miller, Silas B., met his death under peculiarly distressing circumstances. While a student at Waterloo, he attempted to board a train in motion, and fell under the wheels, and was instantly killed. Mr. Miller's other children are-Sarah, wife of Hiram J. Lichty; William H. and Elias.

Source: History of Black Hawk County