Elizabeth H. (Fritz) Miller (1800 - 1880)

Born 1 Oct 1800 in Pennsylvania

Wife of William C. Miller — married about 1822 in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States [uncertain]

Descendants

Died 8 Nov 1880 at age 80 in Oley Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania

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Biography

Elizabeth was the daughter of John and Barbara Fritz,^[1] born in October 1800.

She married William Miller in about 1822.^[2] They resided in Oley Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania, and were the parents of ten children.^[3] At the 1850 U.S. Census their household included her husband William Miller, age 56 and a farmer who owned $5500 in real estate; Elizabeth Miller, age 51; and four children: John Miller, age 16 and a farmer; George Miller, age 13; Franklin Miller, age 11; Mary A Miller, age 8; and Wellington Miller, age 6.^[4]

The 1860 U.S. Census recorded 65-year-old farmer William MIller and his wife Elizibath, age 60, in Oley Township, Berks County, with Wellington Miller, age 17, and Mary Miller, age 18; all were born in Pennsylvania.^[5]

The 1880 U.S. Census found Elizabeth Miller, age 79, widowed, and disabled by paralysis, in Oley Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania as a head of her household. She shared her household with Maryan Miller, 38, servant, who was (like Elizabeth) born in Pennsylvania of Pennsylvania-born parents. The adjacent entry on the enumeration sheet is for Wellington Miller (36), wife Lovina Miller (31), and daughters Mary (6) and Emalina (4). Also (after these) is William Miller, 15, son, laborer (probably not actually the son of both Wellington and Lovina). ^[6]

She died on 8 November 1880 and is buried in Oley Cemetery, in Spangsville, Oley Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania. The inscription on her gravestone reads:^[7]

Secret [sic] to the Memory of

Elizabeth H. Miller

wife of

William C. Miller

Daughter of John & Barbara [obscured by stain]

Born Oct. 1800 and

Lived in Matrimony

55 Years

Died Nov. 8 1880

Aged

80 y [not legible] days

Research Notes

Her father is likely to be John Fritz of Cumru Township, Berks County, a blacksmith, who died intestate before 9 February 1802, when his widow Barbara Fritz was granted administration of his estate. ^[8]

There are two entries for John Fritz in Cumru Township in the 1800 U.S. Census. One household consisted of one man and one woman age 16 to 25 and one girl under age 10. The other household consisted of one man and one woman age 26 to 44, one male age 16 to 25, one male age 10 to 15, and four males and two females under age 10.^[9] That same year, the Pennsylvania septennial census recorded one John Fritz of Cumru as a blacksmith and the other as a weaver.^[10]

Barbara FRITZ, widow, died in Exeter Township of Berks County. On March 6, 1810, Adm. was granted to Daniel HERNER, a brother. Inventory is on Ancestry.com, in old German handwriting.

The 1810 U.S. Census has one John Fritz in Cumru Township. His household consists of one male age 26 to 44, one female age 16 to 25, one female age 10 to 15, and one female under age 10.^[11] This could be the younger man enumerated in 1800, maybe with a new wife after the death of the wife recorded in 1800.

There is one John Fritz in Cumru in 1820. Household contains one male age 26 to 44, one female over 45, and two females 16 to 25. One person engaged in manufacturing (is this the weaver?).^[12]

In 1850, a John Fritz, age 81, was recorded in Cumru with wife Elizabeth, 73. He was a farmer. ^[13] This man would have been 31 in 1800 and 41 in 1810, so he should have been 26 to 44 in both years, and over 45 in 1820. His wife Catherine would have been 23 in 1800 (thus 16 to 25), 33 in 1810 (thus 26 to 44), and 26 to 44 again in 1820.

Sources

1. ↑ Parents' names are on her gravestone.
2. ↑ Date of marriage calculated from William's date of death and the 55-year duration of their marriage that is indicated on his gravestone.
3. ↑ Obituary for Harriet Miller Stubblebine, Reading Times
4. ↑ "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M44K-1TD : 9 November 2014), Elizabeth Miller in household of William Miller, Oley, Berks, Pennsylvania, United States; citing family 72, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
5. ↑ "United States Census, 1860," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-25274-34015-63?cc=1473181 : 8 April 2016), Pennsylvania > Berks > Oley Township > image 4 of 54; from "1860 U.S. Federal Census - Population," database, Fold3.com (http://www.fold3.com : n.d.); citing NARA microfilm publication M653 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
6. ↑ "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-25160-22808-65?cc=1417683 : 24 December 2015), Pennsylvania > Berks > Oley > ED 33 > image 5 of 44; citing NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
7. ↑ Find-A-Grave
8. ↑ Administration Letters and Bonds, 1752-1851 ; Index to Administration Letters and Bonds, 1752-1915; Author: Pennsylvania. Orphans' Court (Berks County); Probate Place: Berks, Pennsylvania. Accessed on Ancestry.com at https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/7667/images/4288507_00184
9. ↑ United States Census, 1800. Enumeration sheet for Cumru, Berks, Pennsylvania; Series: M32; Roll: 35; Page: 587; Image: 173; Family History Library Film: 363338. Accessed on Ancestry.com at https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/7590/images/4440862_00173
10. ↑ Ancestry.com. Pennsylvania, U.S., Septennial Census, 1779-1863 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012. Original data:Septennial Census Returns, 1779–1863. Box 1026, microfilm, 14 rolls. Records of the House of Representatives. Records of the General Assembly, Record Group 7. Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Harrisburg, PA. Accessed on Ancestry.com at https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2702/images/33017_263379-00324
11. ↑ United States Census, 1800. Enumeration sheet for Cumru, Berks, Pennsylvania; Roll: 45; Page: 703; Image: 00155; Family History Library Film: 0193671. Accessed on Ancestry.com at https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/7613/images/4433432_00155
12. ↑ United States Census, 1820. Enumeration sheet for Cumru, Berks, Pennsylvania; Page: 9; NARA Roll: M33_99; Image: 20. Accessed on Ancestry.com at https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/7734/images/4433232_00020
13. ↑ United States Census, 1850. Enumeration sheet for Cumru, Berks, Pennsylvania; Roll: 754; Page: 364b. Accessed on Ancestry.com at https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/8054/images/4191077-00376

• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/74551943/elizabeth-miller : accessed 14 May 2021), memorial page for Elizabeth Fritz Miller (1 Oct 1800–8 Nov 1880), Find a Grave Memorial ID 74551943, citing Oley Cemetery, Spangsville, Berks County, Pennsylvania, USA ; Maintained by N.D. Scheidt (contributor 47099775) .
• Obituary for Harriet Miller Stubblebine, Reading Times (Reading, Pennsylvania), Thursday, August 29, 1912. Page 2.
• United States Census enumeration sheets for Oley Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania, 1850 and 1880