WILLIAM MILLER,
treasurer of the Cedar Valley Land and Investment Company of Vinton,
Iowa, the important real estate business which is described elsewhere
in these pages, dates his birth in Bureau county, Illinois, June 13,
1860.
His father, Leslie Miller, was a native of the north of Ireland, and
his mother, Caroline (McKee) Miller, was born in Poughkeepsie county,
New York. They were married in Pennsylvania, and soon afterward moved
to Illinois and settled in Bureau county, where he engaged in farming.
In Pennsylvania he was a merchant. He farmed successfully in Illinois
until 1880, when he came over into Iowa and took up his abode three
miles southwest of Vinton. Here he owned and operated a farm until his
death, which occurred in 1900, at the age of seventy-eight years. His
wife died in November, 1898, at the age of seventy-four. They were the
parents of seven sons and three daughters, all of whom are living
except one, Alexander, who died at Vinton in the spring of 1906.
William Miller was reared and educated in his native county, and when a
young man started out, unaided, to make his own way in the world. He
began as a farmer and stock raiser in Benton county, having come here
in 1880 with his parents. In time his stock business increased to such
an extent that he operated throughout central and eastern Iowa, buying
and selling in large quantities. His headquarters during this time were
at his home farm in Cedar township, Benton county. Later he turned his
attention to the real estate business, and since the organization of
the Cedar Valley Land Company has closed out his farming and stock
business, and now resides in Vinton, having erected his present
residence on South Washington street in 1907. He is now treasurer of
four land companies, the one above referred to and associate companies,
and is president of The Iowa Land & Live Stock Company of Cooke,
Logan county, Colorado, in connection with which he handles large
tracts of land in Colorado, Wyoming and Canada.
Mr. Miller married, in Vinton, Miss Alberta Stanger, a native of Ogle
county, Illinois, and a daughter of Albert Stanger, now of Vinton. To
them have been given five children, all born in Vinton, namely: Lucile,
Harold, William and Dare, (twins), and Alberta.
Politically Mr. Miller has always been a staunch Republican, and for
several years past has been an active party worker. He has served on
the city council for seven years. Fraternally he is identified with the
Knights of Pythias. Mrs. Miller and family are members of the Methodist
Episcopal church.
Picture of William Miller
