The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1912-06-06
Rev. B. F.. Miller.

Benjamin Franklin Miller, son of
J. H. and Eliza Miller, was born in
Muscatine county, Iowa, September
"a, 1858, and died May %, 1912,
aged SO years, months and %
days. He was next to the youngest
child of a family of eight sons and
daughters. He was left fatherless at
the age of II years. When he was a
boy of about 16 years old he was
converted and Joined the NJ. E.
church. When he had reached the
age of II years he left Muscatine
county and went to Union county,
Iowa, where he engaged in school
teaching. The year following his
going to Union county he was Joined
by his mother and another brother.
The mother and her two sons moved
on a farm that had been previously
purchased. On the Sth of Septem-
Der, 1882, he was married to Miss
Mary E. Beall, and to this union five
children were born, all OF whom are
living to mourn the loss of a beloved
father and to be comfort and
strength to their mother in the hour
of deep grief.
Brother Miller reached the great
crisis of his life when in the year
1886 he felt that God called him to
consecrate his life and talent to the
work of the Christian ministry. At
ter much prayer and careful con-
scientious consideration of this call
of God to him he gave up all the
plans he had made for his life work,
moved with his family to Indianola,
entered Simpson college and began
~ VIZ ro,iv
istry of the Methodist. Episcopal
church. He graduated from Simp-
son college in the class of 1890 and
entered the Des Moines conference
the same year. His entire ministry
was given to the church within the
bounds of the Des Moines Confer
ence, during which he served faith
fully and we'll the following charges.
Kellerton, 1S90-9l-92; Garden
Grove, 1898; Diagonal 1s9495-96-
81; College Springs 1898; Harlan
1899 and 1900; Charlton 1901-02-
O3. He was appointed superintend-
ent of the Charlton District in 1904
and served the full tel m of six years.
He was a member of the general con-
ference of 1908. He was appointed
pastor at Jefferson in 1910 in which
he continued greatly honored and
beloved until last Wednesday morn :
ing when God called him from toll |;
and from service in the church mill
tant to his reward in the church |
God endowed B. F.
Miller with large gifts mentally and
spiritually. He was a close and
faithful student of books and of men.
1t was not a task but JOY and de- !
light to him to preach the blessed
Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, and ;
he was faithful and conscientious in
all his duties as a
preacher and pastor among the peo-
pie to whom he was sent. His ad-
as superintendent of the
Charlton District was greatly blessed
by the Master in the building up and
of all the varied and
important interests of the work. He /,
and encouraged the pas
tors over whom he was placed, and
thousands of souls were converted,
many new churches built, the ben
evidences increased and Charlton
District passed out from his super
to that of his successor
stronger than it had ever been in the
past. During his second year as
District Superintendent he moved
his family to Indianola in order that
his children might have better school
but his residence there
did not in the least detract from his 1
faithful and constant oversight of I
his work on. the Charlton District.
The same year he received the degree
of ~ % fro1 ,Anlity collge.
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