An American Family History

1883
Robert age 4½,
Edith age 13
and Hester age 6
Hennepin County, Minnesota

The Province of Upper Canada was established in 1791 to accommodate Loyalist refugees from the United States. It included all of Southern Ontario and part of Northern Ontario.

Gertrude Eveline Miller was born on October 9, 1868 and died on June 23, 1870 just a few weeks before Eva Edith Miller Van Dusen Fish was born on July 12, 1870.

At the time of the 1871, census they were living in Kingston in the Cataraqui Ward. The household consisted of John W. age 27, Victoria Z. age 30, and Eva E. age 8 months. John was a ships carpenter and their religion was Church of England.

In about 1878 they moved north to Palmerston, Frontenac County, Ontario. Robert Wilson Miller was born there on January 15, 1879 and Victoria Louise Miller was born on July 31, 1880. Victoria died on May 11 the same year.

At the time of the 1881 census they were living in Palmerston. The household consisted of 35 year old John, 40 year old Zelena, 10 year old Edith. 4 year old Mabel, 2 year old Robert, and 8 month year old "Luse." John was a carpenter. They shared a household with 48 year old widower, Firosa Murou and his sons, Usel age 18 and Thomas age 15. Firosa was a cook.

They immigrated to the United States in 1881 and first lived in Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota. John Delbert Miller was born on August 22, 1882 and Verna Ivy Miller Johnson Mathison was born on April 12, 1884. Victoria's brother, Napoleon (Charles) and his family also lived in Minneapolis.

At the time of the 1885 Minnesota Census they were in Minneapolis.

n 1885 the family was living in Hennepin County, Minnesota and they experienced a terrible fire along with Victoria's brother's family.

Three Stores and Dwelling Burned
Narrow Escape of Some of the Inmates
Losses and Insurance

About 4:15 o clock this morning the fire department was called to the corner of Stevens Avenue and Twenty sixth street where a triple row of-two-story frame buildings owned by Mr Ridgeway was in flames.

Two of the three ground floors were occupied— one a hardware store by J. W. Miller and the other a bakery by C. Dwinnell. The upper floors were occupied as a residence by C. Dwinnell, C Ogden, Moses McCrum, and W.H. Smith

The building was totally destroyed entailing a loss to Ridgeway of $2,000. The fire also consumed thee six-room dwelling adjoining the row occupied by George Jodin.

The fire is to have originated at the oven of the baker. Miller's loss was about $1,500 with $600 insurance. Dwinnell will sustain a loss of about $1,000 to $1,200 with an insurance of $600. Smith who lived above the hardware store lost a complete kit of carpenters tools worth $300 and all his furniture worth another $300 with no insurance whatever. Smith himself saved a suit of clothes but his family barely escaped with their lives....

J. W. Miller lost $1,500 a year ago by fire and the loss of $1,000 at present weighs heavily on him. . . (The Minneapolis Journal 12 Jan 1885, Mon  •  Page 4)

Hester Johnson described their early years in a letter to Hester Miller

I remember when we were kids out there. Dad put the crop in too early and the big rain came and washed nearly all of his 20 acre tract of grain out, so he had to plow it all over and re-seed it. Then he had put in about 3 acres of corn and that too nearly all went with the rain, so he put us four kids replanting it. Your dad [Robert Wilson Miller, Sr.] and I each had a hoe and there was enough corn came up to show us where the rows had been. So he and I each took a row and would hoe the right size of a hole and the two little kids would drop the corn in. In that way Dad kept us all busy showing no favorites. Once in awhile we would stop to rest and to discuss the hard job. . .When our corn all came up so extra good and we had sweet corn galore to eat and the field corn for the stock and Dad told us over and over we done it all, that he couldn't have had it all if it wasn't for us, boy we felt like real farmers and we had lots to sell too. So farming goes. I so often think of those happy years we had together on the ranch, but we didn't realize what it all meant to us then."

From 1892 to 1893 they lived at Cedar and Atlantic and John was a rancher. John's poem for their 25h anniversary was written at Eden Ranch, Del Mar. It described their marriage and children.

By 1895 they lived at 1621 Atlantic and John listed his occupation as shipbuilder. He worked for Spreckles Brothers. In 1895 John was naturalized and the entire family became citizens. Edith married in 1896. Edith's son, Wilson, was born in 1898. Hester married William Johnson in 1899.

From 1897 to 1904, they lived at 1633 India Street. The family appeared in the 1900 census. At that time only Robert, John, and Verna were living at home. The household consisted of John age 57 who was a carpenter, Victoria age 59, Robert age 21 who was working as a laborer, John D. age 17 who was a messenger and Verna age 16 was still in school.

The Miller Family in 1874
John, Victoria, Alberta and Edith

1890
John and Victoria

1896
San Diego, California
John Delbert age 14
Verna Ivy age 12

In 1902 Edith's son, Walter was born. John died in 1905 when they lived at 1631 India Street. Verna married Will's brother, Ira Johnson, in 1906 and John Delbert married Nellie Treahy in 1908 and their daughter, Jessie Miller was born in 1909. From 1906 to 1912, they lived at 1619 Columbia. At the time of the 1910 census only Victoria and Robert shared the house. John D.and Nellie lived next door.

Robert W. married Nellie's sister, May Treahy, in 1911. Victoria moved to Seattle, and lived on Terry Avenue with Will and Hester Johnson. Hester V. was born in 1916.

Robert, Jr. was born in 1918. John Delbert died in 1919 in Seattle and Victoria died in 1920 in Seattle. Walter died in 1923.

A wheel of embroidered signatures surrounded by the words:
"Old Friends, New Friends, Dear Friends, True Friends"
"Seattle 1916" in the center.

William Johnson, Hester Miller, S. G. Thomas, Bonnie Robinson, Ralph Wetzel, Emma Drake, Barney Feny, J. D. Miller, Verna Johnson, Wilson Van Dusen, Ida Drake, W.T. Harris, Anna Wetzel, Arthur McCafferty, Stella Robinson, D. H. Willingsford, Jessie Miller, Miles Van Dusen, May V. Miller, I. M. Johnson, Anna Cavanaugh, C. Parker, Jim Noble, Dorothy Vinnett, G. G. Harris, June Van Dusen , W. ? Robinson, Mary Lynbuell, John E. Drake, Bee Harris, Dova Fish, Edith Fish, Walter Van Dusen, Lois Baker, Robert Miller, Victoria Z. Miller, Tex Long, Nellie Miller , C. G. Walsh, and Nellie Shaffer