Simon Fred Miller (1843-1917)

Simon Miller, brother of the late August Miller, Sr., died at his home in Sonamon, Ill., on February 13,. The cause of his death was paralysis. Interment was at Herscher. Ill. His nephews, August, George and Fred Miller, attended the funeral. Mr. Miller has visited here many times and has made the acquaintance of many of our citizens who will regret to hear of his death.

Name: Simon Fred Miller

Birth: 25 Sep 1843 Germany (Prussia) [7], [152]
Death: 13 Feb 1917 Saunemin, Livingston Co., IL [7]
Burial: 16 Feb 1917 Trinity Cemetery, Herscher, Kankakee Co, IL [7], [103]
Occupation: blacksmith, merchant [152]
Father: Arndt Heinrich Conrade Muller (1798-1866) [793]
Mother: Charlotte Hanke (1791-1872) [793]

Misc. Notes
Lineage [7], [9] [675]
Surname was originally "Moëller" [216] or "Müller" [407]
His birth year is listed as 1844 [152]
Tombstone gives yet another dateof birth, eg. 9-24-1843 [103]

Left Germany in 1864 or1865 [152] [157, 1910] to avoid the draft (family lore), which implies that his parents did not necessarily emigrate too, though perhaps Simon's parents came to IL from NY

Simon purchased 10 acres in Salina twp , Kankakee Co., IL in 1868
Purchased 26.67 acres in S4 T32N R14E in 1872 [268]
Purchased 100 acres in Yellowhead twp there 1876
Living in Salina twp 1870 and 1880, where he purchased 80 acres in 1878 near Bonfield [252]

Naturalized 2 Nov 1880 in Kankakee Co, IL, renouncing allegiance to the Emperor of Germany [41, book A, p.289] with witnesses Alex Betz and Chas P. Swigert, both U.S. citizens


Opened a boot and shoe store in Herscher, Pilot twp, Kankakee Co. in 1888 [310]
He and son David were listed as merchants there in 1896 [404]
Owned his home there in 1900 [152]
Removed to Saunemin by 1910, where they lived in their own house [157]
Still owned the places in Herscher and Saunemin, plus the Bonfield farm, at his death; Will dated 13 Jun 1912 and proved Apr 1917 [216]


Note: One of those who testified for Simon on his certificate of naturalization was a Chas. P. Swigert [41], who may have been related to Margaret, perhaps a brother (DMVD).
Note: The informant for his death certificate was son Louis [7].
Note: Examples of his signature [209] [216].

Medical


Died at home in Saunemin of “paralysis” [769].

Marriage:


25 Mar 1868 Kankakee Co., IL [42, book B, p.66]
Spouse: Margaret M. Schweigert

Birth: 1 Mar 1849 Chicago, Cook Co., IL [9], [154]
Death: 16 Oct 1917 Saunemin, Livingston Co., IL [8]
Burial: 18 Oct 1917 Trinity Cemetery, Herscher, Kankakee Co, IL [7], [103]
Occupation: Housekeeper [8], [152]
Father: David Schweigert (~1823-1860)
Mother: Maria Gossett (1829-1904)

Misc. Notes

Lineage [8] [152] [441]; forename also written "Margarethe" [407] or “Margareta” (in her role as Simon’s administratrix and in his Will) [216]
Nickname was “Maggie” [426]
Supposedly was a rather mean person who yelled at her husband a lot; Simon's response was to close the windows so the neighbors would not hear [413].
Diabetes was at least part of the cause of her death [8].
The informant for her death certificate was daughter, Lena [8].
Example of her signature [216]

Children

1 F: Lena Sophia Miller [29]
Birth: 18 Apr 1869 Pilot twp, Kankakee Co., IL [9], [104]
Death: 24 Jul 1936 808 W. Springfield Ave, Champaign, IL [9], [410]
Burial: 26 Jul 1936 Mt. Olive Cemetery, Mayview, Champaign Co.,IL [9]
Occupation: store clerk, housewife [9], [410]
Spouse: Walter Shealy Van Doren
Marriage: 5 Jun 1890 Herscher, Kankakee Co, IL [27], [404]

2 M: Louis A. Miller
Birth: 21 Aug 1871 Kankakee Co., IL [446], [152]
Death: 20 Apr 1944 [252], [522]
Burial: Sunnyslope Cem., Saunemin, IL [119, Louis A. Miller]
Occupation: teacher, merchant, farmer, paper hanger [157], [522], [772]
Spouse: Sarah Jane Pavitt
Marriage: 14 Jun 1898 Herscher, Kankakee Co, IL [446], [63], [522]

3 M: David Daniel Miller Birth: 31 Aug 1874 IL [407], [152]
Baptized: 15 Oct 1874 [407]
Death: aft 1900 [152, 1900]
Occupation: merchant [152]

Sources

7. Standard Certificate of Death for Simon Fred Miller, Feby 16, 1917, Saunemin, Livingston Co, IL, 693, Livingston Co. courthouse, Pontiac, IL, photocopy.

8. Standard Certificate of Death for Margaret M. Miller, Oct 16, 1917, Saunemin, Livingston Co, IL, 623, Livingston Co. courthouse, Pontiac, IL, photocopy.

9. Certificate of Death for Lena Van Doren, July 24, 1936, Urbana, Champaign Co, IL, 13679, Champaign Co. courthouse, Urbana, IL, registered copy.

27. Wedding certificate for W. S. Van Doren and Lena Miller, 5 Jun 1890, original.

29. Certificate of Birth for David Miller Van Doren, 15 Mar 1908, 808 West Springfield Ave, Champaign, IL, 35909, certified copy.

41. Citizenship Certificate for Simon Miller, 18 Oct 1880, 289, Kankakee, Kankakee Co, IL, photocopy.

42. Marriage Records, 25 Mar 1868, (license #2015, 23 Mar 1868), in Kankakee Co, IL courthouse, Kankakee, personal abstract.

63. IL Statewide Marriage Index 1763-1900, [http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/archives/genealogy/marrsrch.html], electronic copy

103. Trinity Lutheran cemetery, Herscher, Kankakee Co, IL, personal visit and transcription.

104. Mount Olive cemetery, Mayview, Champaign Co, IL, personal visit and transcription and photocopies.

119. Sunnyslope cemetery, Saunemin, Livingston Co, IL, personal visit and transcription.

152. U.S. Census, Kankakee Co, IL, personal abstract, photocopy.

154. U.S. Census, Cook Co, IL, personal abstract.

157. U.S. Census, Livingston Co, IL, personal abstract.

209. Estate record re William Henry Van Doren obtained from the Illinois Regional Archives Depository, Williams Hall, Illinois State University, Campus Box 5500, Normal, IL 61790-5500.

216. Will and Estate papers of Simon Moëller obtained from the Illinois Regional Archives Depository, Williams Hall, Illinois State University, Campus Box 5500, Normal, IL 61790-5500, photocopy.

252. Deed records re Simon Miller, Kankakee Co, IL courthouse, Kankakee, 1868-1878, personal abstract.

268. Deed Records re Van Doren and allied families, State of IL Public Domain Land Tract Sales Archive, 1997 internet address [gopher://uicvm1.cc.uic.edu:8013/7%7Edb.landsales/ix.NAME%20PREFIX], electronic copy.

310. Simon Miller opened a boot and shoe store in Herscher, Kankakee, IL, Gazette, 20 Dec 1888, typed copy.

404. Letters from Helen F. King, volunteer for the Kankakee Co. IL Historical Society, 412 S. Prairie Ave, Bradley, IL 60915, re Miller, Schweigert, and Van Doren families (well documented), 1991.

407. Simon Miller’s Bible, owned by Karen Lilleleht, Charlottesville, VA, transcription of enclosed birth certificate for David Daniel Müller, written in German.

410. Walter S. Van Doren, life of, presumably by David Malcolmson in preparation for his book, “A Small Piece of Land”.

413. Letters from Molly Malcolmson Gustin, 1816 Libbey, Ojai, CA 93023, biographical information re Gustin, Malcolmson and Van Doren families, 1991, 1996.

426. Communication from a Yvonne Yeager to Karen Morrical, 1990; (no references).

441. Communication from Karen Morrical, 349 N. Bates Ave, Kankakee, IL 60901-7538 ; (with sources), typed copy.

446. Sarah Miller's daily diary, 1933-1935, in DMVD library.

522. Communication re Pavitt from Lorraine Johnson, 25 Bridle Path Terr, Sparks, NV 89436-8203; also at (some sources), paper copy and electronic copy.

675. Honeyman, A. Van Doren, The Van Doren Family in Holland and America 1088-1908, Honeyman Pub Co, Plainfield, NJ, 1909, in DMVD library.

769. Newspaper articles re Miller in the Lowell, IN Tribune found at [http://www.lowellpl.lib.in.us/millerah.htm].

772. U. S. Census, IL, CA, 1930, personal transcription.

793. Communication from Darlene Rigg, Reference Librarian, Lowell, IN Public Library re Simon Miller (with source -- "Miller Reunion" by Ellen Miller Bowers, dated Aug. 26, 2000), electronic copy.