Biographical Sketch of Charles Miller, Franklin County, Missouri

>From "History of Franklin, Jefferson, Washington, Crawford and 
Gasconade Counties", Biographical Appendix, Goodspeed Publishing 
Company, 1888.

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Charles Miller, mechanic, of Washington, is a native of the Province
of the Rhine, Germany, born in 1828, and the son of Engelbert and
Catherine (Schmidt) Miller, who were also natives of the same province
as their son, born in 1799 and 1794, respectively.  The parents left
Germany in the fall of 1853, but the mother died on the way, and was
buried at sea.  The remainder, the five children and the father, con-
tinued the jorney, arriving at New Orleans the first of the year 1854
and settled in Posey County, Ind., where the father died after six
months.  He bought a farm in that county, and engaged in tilling the
soil.  Charles was the youngest child.  He was educated in his native
country, and when a little over fourteen years of age commenced learn-
ing the blacksmith's trade, working at this for three and a half years
for his board and washing.  After coming to the United States he went
to a small town in White County, Ill., and began learning the gunsmith
trade, and worked at this for one year.  He and his brother, Fred, 
then established a partnership on the old home place, in Posey County,
and began blacksmithing, gunsmithing, and general repairing.  At the
end of a year they dissolved partnership, and Fred is now at Evans-
ville, Ind., engaged in the gunsmithing business.  Our subject went to
Cannelton, Ind., and hired as a mechanic in the Cannelton Cotton Fac-
tory.  In 1858 he became foreman of the factory and remained as such 
for six years.  In 1864 he went to Evansville, and with two others 
established a woolen factory, and remained as partner fifteen months.
During this time Mr. Miller invented a very important loom for weaving
jeans cloth.  In 1866 he went to St. Louis, remaining there six months
at the end of which time he went to Boonville, Cooper Co., Mo., and 
established a machine shop.  In 1882 he came to Washington, Mo., where
he has since been engaged in the same business.  He runs a foundry and
general repair machine shop.  Mr. Miller is a skillful mechanic and an
inventive genius.  He has invented several important machines, and 
among them are pruning shears, chestless steam engine, automatic hand
loom, improved feather renovator, mustache guard, reversible lawn
fountain, punch shears, etc., etc.  He is a conversationalist and a 
highly respected citizen.  In 1850 he married Miss Charlotta Yung,
who died in 1851, at the age of twenty-one.  She left one child, Emil,
who is in Atchison, Kas., pump inspector of the Missouri Pacific Rail-
road.  In 1854 Mr. Miller married Miss Hannah Kranzmann, who was born 
in Westphalia, Germany in 1832, and who bore him nine children, of 
whom seven are deceased and two are living: Arthur Otto and Laura. 
Mr. Miller lost his second wife in April, 1873 and the same year he 
married Mrs. Sabine Koerner, of Baltimore, Md., who was born in Germ-
any, in 1836.  To this union three children were born: Nettie, Lena 
and Lottie.  Mrs. Miller had three children by her former marriage:
Robert, Richard and Caroline.  In politics Mr. Miller is very conser-
vative, voting for principle and not for party.  He is a member of the
I. O. O. F., and he and wife are members of the New Jerusalem Church.
He spends a part of his time in missionary labor, for the sake of
spreading Divine truths, without compensation.  He says this earth
will not be destroyed as the Church teaches, but will stand forever.
Inquirers may apply to him for proof.

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         This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb
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		      Penny Harrell <Incog3678@aol.com>

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