John M. Miller Biography This biography is from "Memorial and biographical record; an illustrated compendium of biography, containing a compendium of local biography, including biographical sketches of prominent old settlers and representative citizens of South Dakota..." Published by G. A. Ogle & Co., Chicago, 1899. Page 762 Scan, OCR and editing by Maurice Krueger,mkrueger@iw.net, 1998. This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit organizations for their private use. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. This file is part of the SDGENWEB Archives. If you arrived here inside a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at http://usgwarchives.org/sd/sdfiles.htm JOHN M. MILLER. The farming interests of South Dakota have prospered more perhaps by stock-raising, than by any other means, and to the gentleman whose name heads this article is due the credit of much of the advancement of this branch of agriculture. Mr. Miller has given his special attention to this line and his experience has taught him that the raising of stock and especially dairy stock, is the most profitable for his locality. His home is in Hopper township, and he is one of the substantial farmers of Aurora county. Our subject was born in Adams county, Pennsylvania, in 1857. His parents were Americans and his father was a carpenter by trade. They were the parents of six children, of whom our subject was the third. When he was about ten years of age he removed with his parents to Mount Pleasant, Iowa, and here received a common-school education, afterward attending Howe's Academy in Mount Pleasant. His first farming for himself was done on land which he rented on shares, but he had previously worked for others and his farm life dates from his thirteenth year. In 1883 he removed to Aurora county, South Dakota, and was employed as a farm laborer for three years, when he took a relinquishment of the southwest quarter of section 19, which he afterward purchased and sold. He repurchased this land and now owns a half section, one hundred and five acres of which is under cultivation, ten acres is set in trees and the remainder furnishes fine pasture and hay land. He has added to the buildings erected at the time he purchased his land and now has substantial buildings, including barn, granary and corn crib, and is well supplied with farm machinery. A good well, two hundred and ninety-two feet deep, with windmill and pump attached, furnishes an unlimited supply of water and assists in lightening the labors incident to farm life. He engages in dairy farming mostly and the raising of stock and at present has thirty-one head of cattle, seven horses and twelve hogs. He raises cereals, and has a thoroughly equipped farm for the dairy business. In 1 889 Mr. Miller was married to Dell Shively. She was born in Ohio, and located in Dakota with her parents in 1883. Mr. and Mrs. Miller have been the parents of four children, three of whom are living: Benjamin, Merle and Philip. Mr. Miller's political views are Democratic. He is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America.