Biography - Austin Miller
AUSTIN MILLER, a prominent resident and leading agriculturist of Pitman Township, Montgomery County, successfully manages one of the finest farms in the State of Illinois. The broad acres (two hundred and forty in extent) are mostly under a high state of cultivation and evidence the judgment and knowledge of their owner. The desirable location of the land upon section 15 makes this a valuable holding and inheritance for our subject's descendants.
Mr. Miller is a native of Madison County, Ill., and was born January 26, 1848. His father was a native Tennessean, while his mother's birth took place in Illinois. His paternal grandfather emigrated from his native State to Illinois at a very early clay and was a noted pioneer of Madison County, where Madison Miller, the father of our subject, spent many years and where he was married. The father and mother of Austin Miller settled in Montgomery County in 1858, locating on a farm near the present site of Raymond village, but in a short time they removed to Pitman Township and there remained permanently. The father died many years ago; the mother still survives and continues her residence upon the old homestead.
Our subject was one of a family of seven children, five of whom are now living. The brothers and sisters are Lucinda, wife of Alexander Woods; Austin, Loftin R., Buford and Charles F. The pioneer father was a sturdy Democrat of the good old-fashioned kind. He and his wife were members of the Christian Church and zealous workers in the cause of morality and religion. The venerable widow, now nearly eighty years of age, is one of the oldest pioneers in her section of the country, and has a store of valuable and most interesting reminiscences of early days in the new and then rugged West. Her maiden name was Sarah Finley, and she came of good descent.
Austin Miller has been a life-long farmer, and has three times made unbroken prairie land into improved and valuable farms, in each instance finding large returns for his skillful cultivation. Our subject was married March 24, 1885, to Miss Celia A. Haynes. This attractive lady is a native of Macoupin County, Ill., and was born April 4, 1860, a daughter of Martin and Phoebe (Loper) Haynes. Her father came to Macoupin County in early times, and when Mrs. Miller was but six years old her mother died; three daughters now survive her: Celia, Emma T. and Jennie L.
Our subject and his wife have four children: John M., Charles A., Mattie E. and Daniel. Though yet in their early childhood they give promise of noble manhood and womanhood. Mr. Miller has had a prosperous career as a tiller of the soil, and aside from his valuable homestead owns a valuable farm of one hundred and sixty acres in Adams County, Neb. He is just in the prime of life, and, with his energy and wide knowledge of agricultural work, is sure to achieve greater success in the future than he has in the past.
Mr. Miller was a participant in the late Civil War, as, though but eighteen years old at the time, he gallantly answered to his country's call, and enlisted in Company A, One Hundred and Forty-ninth Illinois Infantry, January 26, 1865, and was honorably mustered out in 1866, at the close of the war. During his service he was under Gen. Thomas and did garrison duty at Block-houses Nos. 7 and 8, and was at Chickamauga River, Dalton, Marietta and Atlanta. As he was then ready to serve his country with all the ardor of a patriotic boy, Austin Miller is to-day the same in spirit, a true and representative American citizen.
Extracted 04 Dec 2016 by Norma Hass from 1892 Portrait and Biographical Record of Montgomery and Bond Counties, Illinois, pages 213-214.
