Jacob Miller

JACOB MILLER JR It is due that a more extended account be given to a grandson by the same name of Elder Jacob Miller Sr He was born in Preble County Ohio March 6 1812 He was the oldest of a family of sixteen children born to Abraham Miller and Nancy Miller

He early moved with his parents to Franklin County Indiana In May 1831 he was married to Sarah Backus For some years he was a butcher in Cincinnati In 1833 they emigrated to German Township St Joseph County Indiana Here they built up a good home and became quite successful financially They were the parents of twelve children ten of whom grew to maturity

The Portage church was organized in 1833 The next year he was called to the ministry at the age of 22 This was quite young for a man to be put to the work in those days It was not long however until he became a leader not only in Northern Indiana but throughout the Brotherhood

He and his brother James Miller worked side by side in their church work James however was more of a home worker In 1851 they were instrumental in having a large brick house of worship erected eight miles northwest of South Bend It was the first house built in Northern Indiana and one of the earliest in the State In this house Elder Miller preached for twenty years building up a large congregation

He had talent and special fitness for committee work He strove for peace and could often get opposing parties together For twenty years he was placed on as many Annual Meeting committees as any other man He served eight times on the Standing Committee In 1866 he was a member of the committee that went to effect a reconciliation with the John A Bowman Brethren in Tennessee In 1869 he and Elder D B Sturgis were sent as a committee to visit the churches in California and Oregon and organize them for work

Early in his ministry he went to New York to transact some business as a guardian While here he did some preaching by request A young man asked and received baptism at his hands Since this man was isolated he gave him a letter to show that he was a member of the church Twenty years later that man came West stopped at South Bend and inquired for Jacob Miller They enjoyed this renewal of acquaintance The young man married a sister in the church was elected deacon and became an earnest worker for the Lord

Elder Miller was a large man and wore long hair and beard He was a man of fine characteristics and stood high in the estimation of his home people He was a good text preacher and a good exhorter He had a large library for those days and did much reading

His death was sudden and unexpected on Sunday evening September 24 1871 A short time before this he expressed the belief that he would be called away suddenly His funeral service conducted by D B Sturgis and Christian Wenger was one of the largest ever held here He was laid to rest in the little cemetery just across the road from his house - - History of the Church of the Brethren in Indiana Otho Winger Brethren Publishing House, 1917 - Church buildings - pages 382-383