Indiana's State Motto: The Crossroads of America - adopted in 1937
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The Clarence J Miller Family in 1961
Squirrel Hunting
Every young man in Washington County knew what it was to go squirrel hunting, the squirrels were thick in the early days and getting a squirrel was a passage of manhood.
All of the old timers around Washington County have squirrel hunting stories to tell. There is always somebody who could get so many that eating them became a big party.
Pelt Tanning
by
Clarence Jason Miller
1886 - 1969
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Clarence J. Miller and his best friend.
If alive, Clarence would be celebrating his 120th birthday in 2006. His dad Frank Miller would be 155, his grampa Dave Miller would be 205 and his great grampa Adam Miller would be 242 years old.
| My Great Grampa Clarence liked to hunt and he was a crack shot too. He'd go out every morning with one shot in his 22 rifle and get a squirrel. |
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| These pages were hand written by Clarence; he describes how to tan a hide. Something I'm sure he threatened to do to my Grampa if he didn't straighten up, back behind the barn. |
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| I don't know how much education Clarence had, but his
son Arthur only went to school 4 years. Arthur had a 6th grade
education, but he had been double promoted twice.
It's apparent the education Clarence got in Washington County a over 100 years ago, was a good one. He was probably done with school before 1900 when he was 14 years old. His wife Nettie's handwriting was as good, only prettier and happier looking. |
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| People who knew Clarence claimed he was quite a
character who liked to kick back, drink a few, and play his fiddle. Like many of the Millers, everything's laughs and giggles until somebody offends them. Then somebody's about to get whooped on. Fighting was just what boys did instead of sports. Generations ago dads encouraged fighting - as long as nobody picked up a weapon. |
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| Clarence was a tough guy and he made sure his boys were
too. I know Arthur was a fighter right up to his time in the
nursing home when he decked a guy who bit his toe. When Arthur had six
boys in 7 years he raised them just like he was raised. Clarence was of the generation that had people saying "Never corner a Miller", more than one of them had gathered the reputation of whooping three or more guys at once. There have been several Millers who have boxed in the ring. One of those Millers didn't give it up until he punched a man so hard he broke his neck. He spent the next week in the hospital fearing the man would die, he didn't want to be "Killer Miller". The man survived but that was one Miller that was done with boxing. It's all fun until someone dies at your hand. In Daviess County the Millers also boxed. Once a man I had just met was trying to figure out who I was and realized that he had gone to school with my uncle Earl, the youngest of Daviess County Miller boys. The first thing out of his mouth was that he hated to get in the ring with Earl. I asked him why and he told me "You could beat on him and beat on him with everything you had and you just couldn't hurt him". I figure that came from having five older brothers thumping on you your whole childhood. The Millers found a joy in scrapping, whether in Coles County IL, Daviess County IN, or Washington County IN, seeing what you were made of was universal amongst the Millers. As one of the old timers put it, "Some of the Millers liked to drink and some of them liked to fight, and most of the time they was a fightin' each other". One Miller of Clarence's generation, anytime he was drunk and saw this one guy in town, he had to whoop him. Seems they both served in the military in WWI and the drunken Miller didn't get a pension though he got injured, and the other guy got one with no injury at all, (or something of that nature). Every time he saw that scoundrel he had to whoop him and that went on for years.
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This information is the research of many people across the United States and may contain errors. It is presented as the best information to date. Like all of those whose work I have incorporated herein, my research is a work in progress and subject to change without notice. A special thanks to Marlene Ricci of CA, Dwayne Meyer of CA, Jacqueline Bean of TX, Debbie Dick of IN, Milus Miller of IL, Carol Hendricks Miller of IN, Clarence Miller of IN, and Harold Glen Miller of IN. There are numerous others too; many of which are unknown, but their findings and stories are still much appreciated. Much of this would not have been possible with out their information. Also this website includes historical facts gathered from Washington County History, Indiana History, Rowan County and Salisbury North Carolina Historical sources and other US Historical sources.
James A. Miller- Great -Great -Great -Great Grandson of Adam Miller and Hannah Sheets.
©2004-2010 The Millers of Washington County
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Last Updated 12/17/10 03:33:21 PM -0800