Christian "Schmith" Miller

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/5739083/christian_smith_-miller

His nickname, "Schmith" is from his occupation as a blacksmith not his mother's maiden name.

According to Jonathan and Katie Miller Eash Family Genealogy (Wilbur Hostetler, 1978):

Bishop [of] Amish Congregation near Johnstown [Pennsylvania]. - Tradition says that Christian was raised by Hans Beilers, yet Hans was born in 1761 and this was only a few years before Christian was born. Perhaps he may have worked for Hans' father, Christian Beiler, and both Hans and Christian became good blacksmiths, therefore being called "Schmidt" Miller and in time they both became preachers. (JkBy p. 22, information from J. Virgil Miller) - Christian after he attained the age of twenty-one, started to peddle notions for a livelihood, and travel westward across the Allegheny Mountains until he reached Somerset County, PA. There he purchased a tract of 400 acres of land from the Shawnee Indians, in 1780, about five miles south of the present town of Johnstown, near the city of Jerome, PA. of Somerset Co., where he married a young girl Magdalena Berkey.

  He selected a spot near by a stream  where he proceeded to erect a cabin in the forests of Conemaugh Township near Johnstown, Pa.  Tradition says this was a rude cabin with a blanket hanging over the doorway.  During the first summer the foundation was laid for a typical dwelling, where his ten children grew up to manhood and womenhood.  He also erected a blacksmith shop, where farmers came for miles and miles to have "Schmidt" Miller repair and build implements.  It often required several days to travel the distance to and from the shop.  His wife, at home, had to take a path through the woods for miles to bring the cows home, and heard the howling of the wolves, also met Indians along the way in search for game.  They say at the time he settled there, there were only four white settlers in the township.

 Christian and his wife were not the first settlers, he also became the first minister and as the settlement became bigger, Christian was ordained a Bishop.  (JkBy p. 24) Some of his children moved to Holmes and Tuscarawas Counties, OH.  And several times he visited them riding on horseback over the mountains.  He died on his farm in Pa in 1845, and is buried with his two wives on a hillside close by. - First minister and Bishop in the Amish Mennonite church in Conemaugh Township in Somerset Co, PA - died in 1845 and buried in the family burial ground on the farm on a hill close by - same story (MiJe p. 7)

• Reference: RootsWeb's WorldConnect - SmartCopy: Oct 21 2017, 14:48:03 UTC

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birthdate is approximate-married Magdalena BERKEY abt 1784-10 children-2nd marriage,Fanny MILLER-father, Samuel MILLER (Mueller) According to this record it states Christian and Magdalena had six sons and four daughters [ https://hdl.handle.net/2027/wu.89061978425]

• Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Jan 15 2019, 22:56:42 UTC

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[ https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/5739083/christian_smith_-miller]

birthdate is approximate-married Magdalena BERKEY abt 1784-10 children-2nd marriage,Fanny MILLER-father, Samuel MILLER (Mueller)

GEDCOM Note

or 1847 MILLER, Christian (Smith)(Miller Farm Cemetery, PA) http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=image&guid=c26aaee5-ea01-4ceb-8375-5...

GEDCOM Source

@R-949105129@ 1790 United States Federal Census Ancestry.com Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. 1,5058::0 Year: 1790; Census Place: , Bedford, Pennsylvania; Roll: ; Image: http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=sse&db=1790usfedcen&h=287222&ti=0&in... Residence date: 1790 Residence place: Bedford, Pennsylvania, United States 1,5058::287222

GEDCOM Source

@R1300404300@ American Genealogical-Biographical Index (AGBI) Godfrey Memorial Library, comp. Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. Godfrey Memorial Library. <i>American Genealogical-Biographical Index</i>. Middletown, CT, USA: Godfrey Memorial Library. 1,3599::0 http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=sse&db=agbi&h=652008&ti=0&indiv=try&... Birth date: 1760 Birth place: Pennsylvania 1,3599::652008

• Residence: Bedford, Pennsylvania, United States - 1790
• Residence: Quemahoning, Somerset, Pennsylvania - 1800
• Residence: Quemahoning, Somerset, Pennsylvania, United States - 1810
• Residence: Jenner, Somerset, Pennsylvania, United States - 1820
• Residence: Conemaugh, Somerset, Pennsylvania, United States - 1830
• Residence: Somerset, Pennsylvania, United States - 1840
  • Reference: MyHeritage Family Trees - SmartCopy: Sep 12 2021, 0:06:13 UTC

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GEDCOM Note

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/5739083/christian_smith_-miller... Eash Family Genealogy (Wilbur Hostetler, 1978):1761 and this was only a few years before Christian was born. Perhaps he may have worked for Hans' father, Christian Beiler, and both Hans and Christian became good blacksmiths, therefore being called "Schmidt" Miller and in time they both became preachers. (JkBy p. 22, information from J. Virgil Miller)hood, and travel westward across the Allegheny Mountains until he reached Somerset County, PA. There he purchased a tract of 400 acres of land from the Shawnee Indians, in 1780, about five miles south of the present town of Johnstown, near the city of Jerome, PA. of Somerset Co., where he married a young girl Magdalena Berkey.cabin in the forests of Conemaugh Township near Johnstown, Pa. Tradition says this was a rude cabin with a blanket hanging over the doorway. During the first summer the foundation was laid for a typical dwelling, where his ten children grew up to manhood and womenhood. He also erected a blacksmith shop, where farmers came for miles and miles to have "Schmidt" Miller repair and build implements. It often required several days to travel the distance to and from the shop. His wife, at home, had to take a path through the woods for miles to bring the cows home, and heard the howling of the wolves, also met Indians along the way in search for game. They say at the time he settled there, there were only four white settlers in the township.lers, he also became the first minister and as the settlement became bigger, Christian was ordained a Bishop. (JkBy p. 24)ral times he visited them riding on horseback over the mountains. He died on his farm in Pa in 1845, and is buried with his two wives on a hillside close by.Mennonite church in Conemaugh Township in Somerset Co, PA - died in 1845 and buried in the family burial ground on the farm on a hill close by - same story (MiJe p. 7)eb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=kishvalley&id=I10839 RootsWeb's WorldConnect] - SmartCopy: Oct 21 2017, 14:48:03 UTC-d six sons and four daughters [ https://hdl.handle.net/2027/wu.89061978425]18783 SmartCopy]: Jan 15 2019, 22:56:42 UTCY abt 1784-10 children-2nd marriage,Fanny MILLER-father, Samuel MILLER (Mueller)cestry.com/rd?f=image&guid=c26aaee5-ea01-4ceb-8375-5fd827bbf6cd&tid=54230&pid=-2136231683s, Inc. 1,5058::0 Year: 1790; Census Place: , Bedford, Pennsylvania; Roll: ; Image: http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=sse&db=1790usfedcen&h=287222&ti=0&in... Residence date: 1790 Residence place: Bedford, Pennsylvania, United States 1,5058::287222erations, Inc. Godfrey Memorial Library. &lt;i&gt;American Genealogical-Biographical Index&lt;/i&gt;. Middletown, CT, USA: Godfrey Memorial Library. 1,3599::0 http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=sse&db=agbi&h=652008&ti=0&indiv=try&... Birth date: 1760 Birth place: Pennsylvania 1,3599::652008