Showing posts with label Miller. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Miller. Show all posts

Friday, July 9, 2021

Robert Thompson Miller


Robert Thompson Miller
(attribution in references)

Robert Thompson Miller, son of Joseph M. Miller and Alice Athya, was born in Auckland, New Zealand on July 21, 1894. He was the third child of four—George Athya Miller, Aileen Catherine Miller, Robert Thompson Miller, and Marjorie Alice Miller. If you follow my blog, you know one of the surnames I research is Athya, the source of my husband’s Scottish ancestry. Athya is not a very common name so anytime I find someone with that surname, I’m very interested. Robert’s mother Alice was the daughter of John Athya, born in Scotland about 1829 and his wife Catherine Bell, born in Scotland about 1831. To date, I have been unable to connect this line of Athya’s to ours. It’s a work in progress—I’m guessing there’s a connection there somewhere.

UPDATE on May 1, 2022 - Since this sketch was posted, the Athya family connection has been made. Robert is the 2nd cousin 2x removed of my husband Charles. Their nearest common relatives are Isaac Athya and Janet Graham, Charles' 3rd great grandparents and Robert's great grandparents.

World War I started on July 28, 1914 when Robert was 20 years old. Most likely in preparation for enlistment, Robert was examined on June 5, 1915. During the examination, approved by B. J. Dudley, it was determined that Robert was 5’ 10” tall, had a dark complexion, brown eyes, and dark brown hair. His chest measured a minimum of 32 inches and a maximum 35 inches. Robert’s teeth were in fair condition. He was troubled by varicocele (varicose veins within the scrotum). It was noted in the medical record this condition had been present for many years and as a farmer, Robert had never had any trouble from it. Robert’s religious orientation was of the Presbyterian faith.

A little over a year after the war began, on August 24, 1915, Robert enlisted in the Army at Trentham, New Zealand to serve with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. Trentham was a “suburb of Upper Hutt, a city in the Wellington region of New Zealand” according to Wikipedia. Wikipedia also notes that … “The Trentham Military Camp was used extensively for training soldiers in preparation for World War I …” so it appears he would stay in Trentham to prepare for the war. When filling out the recruitment paperwork, Robert stated he was born in Auckland on July 21, 1895, a year later than recorded on the New Zealand birth index found on ancestry.com. He listed his father Joseph Miller of Station Road in Otahuhu, Auckland, New Zealand as his next-of-kin. Robert listed Station Road as his last residence so he was apparently living at home with his parents. At the time, Robert worked as a farmer. When asked for the name and address of his present or last employer, he answered J. V. Hardie, Poro, O, Tarao. Robert wasn’t married. He had never been imprisoned by the Civil power. Although not at the time of his enlistment, Robert had previously served five years of cadet training, two years with Col Cadets and three years with Ter’ls in Sydney Australia. Some, if not all, was compulsory military training under the Defence Act of 1909. He had never been rejected as unfit for the military or naval forces of the Crown. Robert was willing to be vaccinated and to serve in the Expeditionary Force in or beyond the Dominion of New Zealand for the term of the present European war or longer.

Robert served in New Zealand’s military for just a short time, August 24 to November 13, 1915, before entering the foreign service with the 3rd Auckland Mounted Rifles Regiment, A Squad, 8th Reinforcements of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. According to Wikipedia, “the Auckland Mounted Rifles Regiment was a mounted infantry regiment from New Zealand raised, in August 1914, for service during the First World War. It was assigned to the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade, part of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force.” Robert held the rank of Trooper, Service Number 13/2573.


Mounted Section Aucland Mounted Rifles (attribution in references)

The 8th Reinforcements left Wellington, New Zealand for Suez, Egypt aboard the H.M.T. Tufua on November 13, 1915. During the voyage, the troops would have been responsible for the care of their horses. They arrived in Suez on December 20, 1915. On January 23, 1916, they left by train for Canal, Zeitoun (a district in Cairo, Egypt). Once in Zeitoun, the men and horses spent time in desert training. He was still in Egypt on August 1, 1916. 

Robert received a gunshot wound to his right wrist on April 19, 1917, the first day of the Second Battle of Gaza. He spent time in the hospital at Moascar, Egypt, which I believe was a base camp. In May 1917, Robert posted back to the field with his regiment and spent time recovering in Alexandria, Egypt. In July 1917, he was admitted from the field to a hospital in Heliopolis, Egypt (I believe Aotea Hospital) suffering from gastritis and varicocele. He was discharged back to duty with his regiment by mid-August.

The Battle of Beersheba took place in southern Israel on October 31, 1917. According to the New Zealand History website detailing the capture of Beersheba, “On the morning of 31 October 1917 men of the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade attacked Tel el Saba, a fortified hill 3.2 km north-east of Beersheba. After six hours of hard fighting the New Zealanders captured the hill.” Robert apparently was engaged in the battle and died from wounds received that day. Age the age of 23, Robert was buried in section D.4 at Beersheba War Cemetery in Palestine. 


Robert's headstone in Beersheba War Cemetery;
photo from New Zealand War Graves Project (attribution/link in references)

A History Sheet in his New Zealand military record notes “no evidence of a will.”

Robert was awarded the 1914–1915 Star Medal, British War Medal, and Victory Medal for his service. His medals, along with a plaque and scroll, were sent to his father at Gray Avenue, Mangere Crossing, Otahuhu, Auckland, New Zealand. 


Robert's medals (left to right:1914-1915 Star Medal,
British War Medal, and Victory Medal
(attribution in references)

Robert was not the only member of the family who served during World War I. His brother George served as a Lieutenant in the 10th Battalion of the East Surrey Regiment and Royal Air Force and his sister Aileen served as a nurse.

References

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Friday, April 5, 2019

Ruth Miller

The 52 Ancestors theme this week is “brick wall.”

I had full intentions of blogging about my husband’s 2nd great grandfather, Samuel C. Murphy, but decided against it when I pulled out the notebook full of Civil War era papers I have for him. I haven’t figured out who Samuel’s parents are so our Murphy line stops when I get to him. He definitely is one of my brick walls. Since he’s my husband’s direct ancestor, I want to get it right and not rush through his timeline so I’ll save him for later. Instead, I’m writing about Ruth Miller Dudley Chapman, the woman standing in front of a brick wall beside her second husband, Charles Vernon Chapman.

Ruth Miller, daughter of William T. Miller and Jessie Graham Waddel, was born on June 7, 1899 in Allegany County, Maryland. She came from a large family of at least 12 children—John Jacob Miller, Clara Jane Miller, Ruth Miller, William Robert Miller (twin), Jessie Graham Miller (twin), Irwin Miller, Florence Miller, Elmer Elsworth Miller, Verna Miller, Clarence Ernest Miller, Thomas Edward Miller, and Esther Miller. She and my husband Charles have no common relative. Family Tree Maker shows she is the wife of uncle of wife of uncle to my husband.

On June 18, 1900, Ruth and her family lived in District 15 of Lonaconing, Allegany County, Maryland. Her father worked in the coal mines. Her maternal grandparents were both from Scotland. Ruth was baptized at a Presbyterian Church in Lonaconing on November 3, 1902. Jessie, one of the twins, passed away in 1903 and was buried at Oak Hill Cemetery in Lonaconing.

On April 25, 1910, Ruth and her family still lived in Lonanconing, now on Water Clift Street. Her father worked on a driving team, probably at the coal mines. When I looked at the men in her neighborhood, it appears that most of them worked in the coal mine at the time, although her brother John was working as a laborer on a farm. The census enumerator recorded that her mother Jessie had eight children, seven of which were living. That would account for the death of baby Jessie. The family suffered another loss when Ruth’s sister Esther passed away in 1916. She was buried beside baby sister Jessie at Oak Hill Cemetery.

On January 12, 1920, Ruth (age 20) and her family lived on Water Street in Lonaconing. Her father was a self-employed carpenter. Ruth, William, and Irwin worked at the silk mill. Ruth’s father William passed away in 1923 and was buried at Oak Hill Cemetery. Sometime between 1920 and 1923, Ruth married Joseph Dudley Jr., son of Joseph Dudley Sr. and Martha West and they moved to Bridgeport, Harrison County, West Virginia. Ruth and Joseph had three children—Bettie Lou Dudley born April 13, 1924, Leah Jo Dudley born July 7, 1926, and Florence Ann Dudley born January 30, 1928. Tragedy struck the family on October 8, 1928 when Joseph was severely wounded in a mine explosion. He died from his injuries the next day. Joseph was buried at the Bridgeport Masonic Cemetery on October 13. The explosion was no accident—his death was ruled a homicide. You can read about Joseph here. With his death, Ruth was left alone to raise their three daughters. Probably needing to be close to her family, she moved back to Lonaconing.

Ruth's sister-in-law Charlotte Randall Dudley (wife of James), Anne Dudley Sipe,
James Dudley (brother of Joseph), and Ruth

On April 4, 1930, Ruth and her daughters lived on Dye Road, not far from her mother’s home on Watercliff Street. Ruth supported her family working as a winder at the silk mill. Six of her siblings were still living with her mother so she had plenty of help taking care of her daughters.

On April 11, 1940, Ruth and her daughters lived with her mother, sister Verna, and brother Clarence on Watercliff Street. Ruth still worked at the silk mill. Verna was working as a teacher in a public school and Clarence worked in the printing department at Celanese Corporation. By 1945, Ruth had moved to Long Beach, California. She and daughter Bettie lived at 3933 Virginia Road and worked together at Douglas Aircraft Company in Long Beach.

Ruth and her daughters all celebrated a wedding in the late 1940s and 1950s. On June 30, 1946, Ruth traveled back to Lonaconing when her daughter Leah married Elmer Marsh. Ruth’s brother Clarence gave Leah away at the ceremony. Ruth wore a navy-blue dress with a navy-blue hat trimmed in white, and a corsage of gardenias. In 1948, Ruth married Charles Vernon Chapman, son of Granville H. Chapman and Cora C. Taylor. On January 28, 1951, her daughter Bettie married Norman Keith Glass in Las Vegas, Nevada. And daughter Bettie married John M. Lajoie on Julie 23, 1959 in Los Angeles, California.

Ruth’s family gathered every year to celebrate her mother’s birthday, a tradition they carried on even after her mother passed away in 1958. Ruth and Vernon were often the hosts of the celebration.

Her husband Vernon died on December 18, 1977 and was buried at Rest Lawn Memorial Gardens in La Vale, Allegany County, Maryland. Her daughter Bettie died in San Rafael, Marin, California on January 10, 1986 and was buried at Masonic Cemetery in Bridgeport, Harrison County, West Virginia.

Ruth passed away in Lonaconing on September 16, 2000 at the age of 101 years. She was buried beside Vernon at Restlawn Memorial Gardens in La Vale.

The photos on this post are part of my husband’s uncle Ralph J. Murphy’s slide collection. If you’d like to see more photos from Uncle Ralph’s collection, click on the links below.
Share your photos and make a difference
Water sports at Tygart Lake
Nutter Fort, West Virginia Soap Box Derby
Warner’s Skyline Drive-In Theater
Vintage Christmas photos
52 Ancestors – no. 40: Anna B. Church – (week 24) (Anna (Church) and Everett Evans photos only)

References

  • Bettie Dudley Is Wed to Norman Glass, “The Cumberland News,” Cumberland, Maryland, March 17, 1951.
  • Betty Lou Dudley, West Virginia, Births Index, 1853-1969.
  • California, Marriage Index, 1949-1959.
  • Find-A-Grave, memorial 115830709 for Esther Miller, 115830677 for Jessie G. Miller, 115830227 for William T. Miller, and 111233077 for Ruth Miller Dudley Chapman.
  • Long Beach, California, City Directory, 1945.
  • Merrbach, Marie, Wedding Ceremony Is Solemnized in First Presbyterian Church, “The Cumberland News,” Cumberland, Maryland, July 4, 1946.
  • Murphy, Denise, 52 Ancestors – no. 49: Joseph Dudley Jr. (week 33), Living in the Past blog.
  • U. S. Federal Census, District 17, Lonaconing, Allegany, Maryland, 1910.
  • U. S. Federal Census, District 49, Lonaconing, Allegany, Maryland, 1930.
  • U. S. Federal Census, Lonaconing, Allegany, Maryland, 1900.
  • U. S. Federal Census, Lonaconing, Allegany, Maryland, 1920.
  • U. S. Federal Census, Watercliff, Lonaconing, Allegany, Maryland, 1940.
  • U.S., Presbyterian Church Records, 1701-1970
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