The Frank H. Miller Family of Tinley Park, Illinois, is descended from John Bernard Miller of Starlight, Indiana, who came to this country around 1860 from Oldenburg, Germany. He stowed away on a ship with the help of a friend who was a crew member. He later recounted to his children that it was a horrible experience in that he was terribly sea sick throughout the entire journey. After settling in Indiana, he served in the union army during the civil war. After the war he married Magdalena Goedecker and raised a family on the farm in Starlight, which still is in the family, now occupied by two granddaughters, Marie and Irene Miller. Frank Miller, now deceased, was a cousin of Marie and Irene, and also a grandson of John Bernard. He came to Chicago to work in the trucking company of Huber and Huber, started in Louisville, KY, by another family in Starlight. His family of eight children grew up in Tinley Park, a suburb of Chicago, and most continue to live in the area, although two have relocated to the area of Phoenix, AZ. Frank Miller married Anne Small in Chicago. The Small Family has been in this country for over 300 years, and is traced back to the state of Maine and the Canadian province of New Brunswick. Down through the years the various generations have often moved about - to Iowa, Nebraska, Illinois, and many other places. There is much to piece together in the adventurous past of these pioneers, and as details get put together, perhaps other Smalls will find a common point of convergence with their past as well. Through marriage many other long-standing American families are also related. Hopefully there will be more to tell in the not-too-distant future. In the meantime, anyone with any knowledge of Benjamin or Samuel Small, of Grand Manon Island, New Brunswick, Canada, or Lubeck, Maine, your input will be gratefully received. E-mail can be addressed to: [email protected]. Jim Miller
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