Leonard Miller (1830 - 1892)

Born 1830 in Bavaria, Germany

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 3 Mar 1892 at about age 62 in Shelby County, Indiana

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Biography

Leonard Miller and Gertrude Neurohr

Leonard Miller was born in Bavaria in 1829 according to the 1870 US Federal Census for Dearborn County, Indiana. His parents were also born in Bavaria. The 1880 census lists Gertrude born in Lorraine, a Province contested by France and Germany, which is now part France. Leonard was a farmer in 1860, 1870 and 1880. Leonard could neither read nor write in 1870 and 1880, but was a naturalized citizen. Leonard and Gertrude had 12 children. Katherine’s 11 siblings were Frances, born l852, Margaret, born l853, Joseph, born 1854, Christina, born 1855, Lorenz, born 1858, Phillipina (female), born 1860, Wigand (male), born 1861, Clara, born 1864, Anton (Anthony), born 1865, Theresia, born 1867 and Rosa, born 1873. All of these children were born in Indiana. The l860 census states that Joseph and Lorenz were adopted orphans. Leonard and Gertrude must have married in Indiana since Leonard’s parents had children in Indiana when Leonard was 5 years old. The 1870 census showed that their community had many Bavarians and people from the Alsace/Lorraine region. Census and baptismal records show that Leonard lived near and attended church with Gertrude’s parents, Paul Neurohr (born l798) and Christina Neurohr (born 1795). Also listed is Lorenz Neurohr (born l824) and his wife Margretha (born 1829) and their children. Lorenz Neurohr was presumably Gertrude’s brother. All of the adult Neurohr’s were born in Lorraine (France) except Margretha, who was born in Bavaria. The church they attended was St. Martin’s in Yorkville, IN. The Miller children were all baptized as Müller (u-umlaut), often with the Neurohr’s as witnesses. There are a number of other adults from Bavaria named Miller or Müller (u-umlaut) in the Yorkville census and church records from this period. These are probably Leonard’s relatives, but this cannot be proven because Miller is such a common name. It is not known where in Bavaria they originated.

Leonard Miller is not listed in the 1850 census for Dearborn County, IN., but there is a 20 year old Leonard Miller listed in 1850 in Brookville Township, Franklin County (page 281B), which is immediately north of Dearborn County. This man was an unmarried laborer, born in Germany who may or may not be the same person. Leonard Miller died March 4, l892, while visiting his son, Lawrence (born Lorenz), in Shelby Township, Shelby County, Indiana, which is Northwest of Dearborn County. He is buried in St. Vincent’s Church Cemetery. Leonard was one of 80 people who, for some reason, were buried without individual grave markers. There is a large monument erected later with the 80 names, but the gravesite is unidentified. Leonard’s obituary in the Shelbyville Democrat is next to a vitriolic advertisement for cemetery markers which condemns the advertiser’s competitors as incompetent. It is not known if a shortage of skilled carvers explained the unmarked burials, or if umlauts were in demand. Lawrence Miller (l858-1931), his wife Luella Worland Miller (l863-1931) and their sons Arthur L. Miller (l989-1942), a World War I Veteran, and Anthony Miller (l890-1919) were buried later at St. Vincent’s with attractive individual stones that say Miller. Based on the obituary of Lawrence and the l910 census he also had a daughter, Bertha (born l891), and one other child.^[1]

Sources

1. ↑ "GENEALOGY OF THE CHISM/CLUSIN FAMILY OF FREDERICK COUNTY, VIRGINIA, CLINTON COUNTY, OHIO AND CINCINNATI, OHIO. Includes Partial Listings for Clevenger, Thomlin, Raines, Baker, Sageser, Hockman, Walker, Purkhiser, Bradbury, Hunt, Kolb, Werner, Elden, Dean, Thomas, Miller, Neurohr, Schnetzer, and Pfeiffenberger. And allied families: Brown, Cook, Crouse, Ebert, Edwards, Florea, McQuale, & Storer." William T. Clusin, M.D. Stanford, California. November 26, 1999.

• http://findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=73656603

• "Ohio Deaths, 1908-1953," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X8DQ-WYB : accessed 25 January 2016), Leonard Miller in entry for Clara J Leroy, 24 Apr 1911; citing Cincinnati, Hamilton, Ohio, reference fn 21679; FHL microfilm 1,952,984.