The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1890-11-13
The Late Col. William Miller.

When man so long and we'll known
as Col. William Miller dies, his death
requires more than passing notice. 1t
is we'll to stop in our hurry after wealth
and our busy activity in the pursuits of
life to honor the memory OF our old and
worthy citizens as they pass away.
William Miller was bora in Pennsylvania
on the 18th day of June, 1901, 80 that at
the time of his decease he was in his
Goth year and up to few days of his
death was familiar figure upon our
streets. Of good constitution, good
habits and amiable disposition it can
hardly be said that he passed away from
disease, but rather from a wearing out
of the vital forces. He if any one died
of old age. He was most pleasant
companion, genial.in manner and was
much beloved by those who were init.
mate friends, while he was esteemed by
all. There is perhaps not young boy
or girl in Hillsboro that did not respect
Col. Miller as he always had for them
kindly greeting. He was mine of rem.
iniscences of the early days in Southern
Ohio, and to him Prof. Putnam was
much indebted for information as to the
condition of the Serpent Mound years
ago. He read much and kept we'll ad.
vised as to modern thought and advance.
ment in religion or politics. He took an
interest ia all improvements and was
always found advocating good morals,
temperance, Christian Sabbath and all
those appliances which tend to make
mankind better.
Col. Miller moved to Ohio in April,
1918. He was for over 20 years Justice
of the Peace in Concord township in
this county and, like John l.. Hughes
and Nathaniel N. Delaplane, was known
as peacemaker and reconciler of
neighborhood quarrels, rather than
breeder of disturbances like many mod
ern Justices. He, Hughes and Della
plane belonged to school of gentlemen
who are hardly to be found in the greed
for spoils now so prevalent. The MEM
cries of all three should be held as
models by those who knew them
Col. Miller represented Highland
county in the Legislature in the days
when it was an honor to be member
of that body, and when men were select
ed for their merit and not for the money
they could ''pst up" Col. Miller's first
wife was Mary Igo, who died many years
ago. They had four children, two of
whom are living, uiz: DIR. Miller, of West
Union, and Mrs Mccormick, who re-
sides on the old home farm There are
two brothers surviving, namely, Esq.
John Miller, who resides on the Belfast
pike near our city, and Henry Miller,
of Illinois, both highly esteemed citi-
zens. Col. Miller married as second
wife an estimable lady, the widow of
Thomas Coker, who built the house on
South street where Col. Miller died.
She survives him and lives on East South
street, Hillsboro, where the family home
had been for years. Mrs. Miller is
much respected by all our people as a
worthy, good woman and one ofthe best
of neighbors.
In all the attributes of Christian
gentleman, against whom no breath of
reproach has been cast for over a third
of century, our old friend has gone to
his reward as just man, and it can be
said OF him, as can only be said of men
of his type, that the world is better by
reason of such men. When men like
Col. Miller pass through life as good
fathers, good husbands, good citizens,
good neighbors, and make nc disturb.
ance or rush around with a blare of
trumpets and confusion in their wake,
their virtuous example is apt to be only
the subject of a newspaper paragraph.
But buried as he is in the quiet country
cemetery at Sugartree Ridge, such lives
preach sermons of more value to human
souls than monumental pillars of granite
emblazoned with eulogies of the so call
cd great men of History. The heart is
made better and the resolutions to do
right strengthened by the examples of
the blameless lives of such men as Col.
William Miller, Judge N. N. Delaplane
and Esq. John L. Hughes. The future
records of Highland county will always
be honored by holding their names
among those not to be forgotten in the
annals of the men of old. A FRIEND.