BIO:  John E. Miller, York County, PA

Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Kathy Francis

Copyright 2006.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/york/
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History of York County, Pennsylvania.  John Gibson, Historical Editor.
Chicago: F. A. Battey Publishing Co., 1886.
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Part II, Biographical Sketches, Shrewsbury Township, Pg 179

JOHN E. MILLER was born in what is now New Freedom Borough, November 19, 1836.  
His parents, Meinrad and Anastasia (Dienst) Miller, were natives of Baden, 
Germany, near Feilburg, and came to America in 1833.  They landed in New York, 
and went from there to Chillicothe, Ohio, returning, in a short time, to 
Baltimore, where they lived one year, and in 1834 settled in Strasburg, now 
Shrewsbury Township, where three of the children were born.  One had been born 
in Ohio, and seven in Germany.  Of the eleven children six were sons.  The 
ancestors being farmers, the boys were brought up for the same purpose.  Our 
subject received his education in the public schools.  About 1850 he learned the 
cigar-making trade at Baltimore.  At the age of twenty-one he began life for 
himself.  In 1861 he went to Europe, and spent one year there visiting the 
birthplace of his parents, and many other places of interest.  He also visited 
England, France and Holland.  Returning, he located at Baltimore, Md., where he 
followed the cigar business until 1881, when he removed to New Freedom, where he 
began the manufacture of cigars exclusively.  In 1879 he was married, in 
Baltimore, to Mary Wissel, of Maryland, of German descent, and had three 
children:  Rita Mary, John E. and Joseph Vincent.  Mr. and Mrs. Miller were 
brought up to the Catholic faith, and are active members of the church.  His 
only brother, Albert A. Miller, carries on manufacturing, canning, and farming 
at Upper Falls, Baltimore Co., Md., and his only sister resides in Hopewell 
Township, and is the wife of Andrew Bisker.  The father died in 1856, aged sixty 
years; the mother died in 1839, aged thirty-nine years.  The father of Mr. 
Miller was one of the principal men to build St. John the Baptist Catholic 
Church, at New Freedom, in 1842; the only members were Meinrad Miller, Caspar 
Druschler, Anthony Dienst and John Dotterman.