Obituary of David Miller

Courtesy of Gary Stuart - 08.2006

Obituary from The Vevey Reveille, Thursday, July 23, 1885

David Miller was born in Bourbon County, Ky. December 29, 1795. He removed with his parents to Indiana in 1808. At a meeting held near the present site of Mt Sterling, in Switzerland County, in the year 1810, he united with the Methodist Episcoal Church, under the ministerial labors of Rev. Walter Griffith, and after the lawful probation was baptized and received into full membership by a local deacon named Osborn. But simple church membership was not by any means his highest conception of religion, and he could not rest the salvation of his soul upon such a sandy foundatiion, but to use his own language: "I felt that I was a great sinner before God; I confessed my sins in humble penitence and cried 'Lord, pardon all my sins' and no sooner said than done."

Mr. Miller was married to Polly Gullion in 1815, by whom he became the father of twelve children, seven of whom still live, and are respected citizens. Five others, together with the mother, have passsed away.

Having had the misfortune to lose a part of my memoranda, I am not able to give the date of Father Miller's second marriage, but it was when he was well advanced in life that he had the good fortune to wed Miss Nancy Ransom. I say good fortune, for but few men ever need so much care and kind attentiion as he did in a number of his last years of infirmity, and none were ever more kindly and constantly cared for.

As to Father Miller's business career, the writer is not informed more than that being one of the pioneer farmers of Switzerland county, all of his active life was taken up in the hard labor of clearing and cultivating the soil, and hs old age and infirmity was not deprived of the things needful for life and comfort.

Father Miller cared to talk but little of worldly affairs, but delighted in things spiritual and eternal. If any one could ever fully adopt the sentiment expressed by the poet who sang: "I love thy kingdom, Lord, the house of thine abode" &c. surely that man was David Miller, and if there was anything that came near causing a momentary complaint it was when he could no longer find his place in the house of the Lord. For more than fifty years, he was a most zealous and faithful class leader and licensed exhorter, and his ringing, soul stirring exhortations, his words of comfort and counsel to Christians, his earnest appeal to sinners, will not soon be forgotten. Like the Apostle John, it was his greatest pleasure in old age to be carried to the house of God and tell of the sufficiency of religion in every condition and pronounce a Patriarchal blessing upon the congregation.

On the morning of July 18th, 1885 at the age of 89 years, 6 months, and 19 days, and after a religious life of even seventy five years, David Miller sweetly fell asleep in Jesus. The funeral was attended by a great concourse of people, and the sermon was preached by the writer at the request of the deceased, from 2 Tim. 4, 6, and 8.

Thus another of the pioneers has been removed, but "he being dead yet speaketh."

J. W. Allen

Switzerland County Obituaries