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Author: GeneJinSL
Surnames: Miller, Thoma, Toma, Baum, Burger
Classification: queries
Message Board URL:
http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.indiana.counties...
Message Board Post:
Hi Cherylsdomain1 and other Porter County researchers,
I'm following up on a string of mis-steps that relate to descendants of Peter Miller
(?1779-1845). Although I'm writing here about his son Joseph, Peter Miller was the
father of Rebecca (Miller) Baum, a Porter County, Indiana pioneer.
Rebecca had a half-sibling named Joseph Miller. Some time back, someone speculated this
Joseph Miller had married a Hannah Burger, made a wild trip to the gold mines eventually
settling at Porter County, Indiana, where he died in the 1850s. This speculation is found
repeated over and over again in online family trees and while I don't doubt the
stories about such a Joseph Miller, Hannah Burger's husband by that name is unlikely
to be the man who was Rebecca (Miller) Baum's brother and son of Peter and Mary
(Stewart) Miller.
Sigh.
Hannah Burger's husband is said born 13 Feb 1815, and there are records/traces about a
Joseph Miller [Jr] who was born at Pennsylvania one day off from that date in 1815. His
parents were named Joseph and Elizabeth. If anyone is interested, somewhere I have a set
of extensive additional notes about why Hannah's husband is almost certainly not Peter
Miller's son.
Joseph Miller, son of Peter Miller and Mary Stewart was born at Ohio in 1814; he was
baptized in October 1814 at St. Jacobs. He is almost certainly the "Joseph Peter
Miller" who married his Paris township, Stark Co., OH neighbor, Rebecca Thoma/Toma.
They lived out their lives at Ohio where they raised a large family.
The Miller-Thoma/Toma marriage is recorded at Stark County. Some of the evidence for the
correct link comes from a family manuscripts. One was written by Peter Miller's
granddaughter, Lettie. The granddaughter (thus niece of Joseph Miller) was born in 1851,
so she was of an age to have firsthand knowledge of Joseph. Her manuscript provides
evidence that helps develop the genealogical proof that Joseph Peter Miller is Peter
Miller's son.
In another family manuscripts, Joseph Peter Miller's grandson added some tradition
about the couple--"Rebecca "was the only girl grandpa ever dated, and he was her
first and only sweetheart."
Joseph and Rebecca (Thoma) Miller died at Van Wert County, Ohio, within days of each other
in 1895.
Perhaps with a little help from the online genealogical community, we'll get Joseph
and Rebecca reconnected. It seems fitting for a couple who seem to have been so connected
in life.
I'll be blogging about this Miller connection soon. --GeneJ
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