Will County IL Archives Biographies.....Miller, Simon 1834 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/il/ilfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Deb Haines ddhaines@gmail.com May 8, 2007, 11:19 pm Author: Portrait & Bio Album, 1890 SIMON MILLER, a prominent citizen of Monee Township, has held an important place among the business men of Will County for several years, and has aided in putting it upon a sound financial basis, and is one of its best civic officials. He was born in Kaisen-Lautern, in the Province of Bavaria, October 9, 1834, his birthplace being near the River Rhine. His parents, George and Veronika (Imhoff) Miller, were both natives of Bavaria, the father born September 10, 1800, and the mother May 4, 1804. They came to the United States in the spring of 1849, and located in Cook County, living in Chicago for three or four years. Mr. Miller was superintendent of a large lumber trade in the old country, and subsequently was in the grocery business on the southeast corner of Clinton and Madison Streets. He bought a building on Clark Street for $50, and moved it across the river, about 1850, the removal being made on a flat-boat; the building is still standing in Chicago. Mr. Miller then took up his residence in the town of Richton, where his death occurred. He and his wife were consistent members of the Evangelical Protestant Church, and took an active part in its work. They had ten children, and the following seven came to the United States: Catherine, Frederick, Adam, Simon, Lena, Louisa and Henrietta. The son, of whom we write, at fifteen years of age was apprenticed to learn the trade of a tin and coppersmith, and worked at that ten years. Then going to Richton he built the Richton House, and for three or four years was engaged as a hotel keeper. He then bought a fine store in Madison, which he managed till 1867, when he came to Monee, and with Conrad Tatge and August Herbert established himself in the general merchandising business, and was extensively engaged in buying grain, under the firm name of Tatge, Miller & Herbert. They were together some years, but after 1877 he was alone. In September, 1888, he turned over his business, which had greatly increased under his able management, to his son and son-in-law. He has acquired a good deal of valuable property. He owns two farms, containing two hundred acres, in Will County, and has an interest in his former business, owning two elevators. He is also the proprietor of the store building, and has a fine residence and a store where he lives, besides has property in Chicago, on the corner of Webster and Burling Streets, also a building on Orchard Street, and has residence property in that city worth about $25,000. Mr. Miller has built up a beautiful home, and the lady who presides over it became his wife January 19, 1856, the ceremony that made them one being performed in Chicago. Mrs. Miller's maiden name was Elizabeth Bepperling, and she was born in New York City, February 19, 1840, the only daughter of John George and Johanna (Paul) Bepperling. In 1842 she came to Chicago with her parents, where the father died, and the mother married John Davis, who became a pioneer of the city, he building the first brick house on the North Side, located near the old Lake House. He was one of the charter members of the first Masonic Lodge in Chicago. He was of English birth, and came to the United States in 1812, rather unwillingly, he having been captured by an American privateer. He took an active part in the famous Black Hawk War. He came to this country without any means, but at his death left a large property. The happy wedded life of our subject and his estimable wife has resulted to them in the birth of five children, two now living—Mary and George S. Their daughter is the wife of F. J. Sanchez, who was born in the same room of the same house in which our subject was born. His father, Franz Sanchez, was a native of the same place, the son of a Spaniard, who was an officer in the Spanish army. He was captured by Napoleon and taken to Germany a prisoner, and after the war settled there. He subsequently came to the United States, and passed the remainder of his life in Iowa. Some of his children bore an honorable part in the late war. Mr. Miller has had the making of his own fortune, as he began life without a dollar he could call his own. By the quiet force of persistent effort, directed by wise discretion and constant devotion to duty, he has left poverty far behind, and to-day is a wealthy man, with an assured income from his handsome property. He has always been closely identified with the public life of Will County since he took up his residence here. While living in Richton he was Township Clerk through the war, at Madison he was Postmaster, and since coming here he has borne a prominent part in the management of the public affairs of township and county. He served as a member and also as the President of the Board of Trustees a number of years, and is now serving his third term as Supervisor of Monee, and is one of the most able men holding that office on the County Board. In politics he has ever been a firm Democrat of the Douglas order, and his high standing in the county is apparent when it is considered that he is the representative of a Republican stronghold. Additional Comments: Portrait and Biographical Album of Will County, Illinois, Containing Full Page Portraits and Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens of the County; Chicago: Chapman Bros., 1890 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/il/will/bios/miller1416nbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/ilfiles/ File size: 5.9 Kb