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MARY A. MILLER, familiarly know by all as “Grandma Miller”, is one of the loveable
elderly ladies of our county and it is especially gratifying to have the opportunity
to append an epitome of her career in this the abiding chronicles of Harney county.
She is a woman of many virtues and graces and has done a noble part in the life
of the pioneer and she has many friends who admire her real worth of character,
her faithful life, and her own rare qualities of intrinsic worth. She is now making
her home with her daughter, Mrs. Jane Poujade, who is the wife of one of the leading
stockmen of Harney county and whose comfortable and commodious residence is six
miles east from Harney, on what is known as Cow creek ranch.
Mrs. Miller was born in Richland county, Ohio, on September 29, 1827, and at the
age of eleven went with her parents to Henry county, Iowa. There she married Mr.
Isaac H. Jones, on October 26, 1845. They removed to Boone county, Iowa, where Mr.
Jones died on June 27, 1860. In 1862 Mr. Jones married William Miller and in 1863,
with five children, they started across the plains with ox teams for the Pacific
coast. The arduous and trying journey was completed when they landed in Salem. There
Mr. Miller engaged in raising stock for three years and then removed to the Rogue
river valley, where he continued in raising stock and farming until the time of
his death, which sad event occurred on June 6, 1886. Since that time, Mrs. Miller
sold the property and has come to reside with her daughter, as mentioned above.
By her first husband there were born to Mrs. Miller, five children, names as follows:
Albert J., deceased; Mrs. Elizabeth J. Lu, of Baker City; Mrs. Amy A. McIntyre,
deceased; George W., near Portland; Charles W., deceased. By her second marriage
she had four children, Mrs. Mary Savage, of Burns; Mrs. Jane Poujade, near Harney;
John C., deceased; Frank S., near Burns. Mrs. Miller has always lived on the frontier
and she has done a noble part in the advancement of civilization into the wilds
of the various frontier regions. She is hearty and well now, and remarks that she
loves to dwell in a new country, thus showing the admirable pluck, courage, and
spirit of which she is possessed. She is beloved by all, and her pilgrim years have
been crowded with good deeds and now she is enjoying the golden years of life in
comfort and happiness.
Transcriber’s Note: In paragraph 2, the original text says that in 1862 Mr. Jones
married William Miller. I believe it was actually Mrs. Jones who married him.
Transcribed from Pages 660-661 of Harney County Biographies from “An Illustrated
History of Baker, Grant, Malheur and Harney Counties with a brief outline of the
early history of the State of Oregon”, Published 1902 by Western Historical Publishing
Company
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