Lazarus
Project
An expanded obituary project of
MennObits. Includes additional information of obituaries
appearing in
The Mennonite and other newspapers. Source of
individual obituaries given with each record. Project managed by
Thelma Martin.
1968
M
Miller, Abraham
R.;
Miller,
Abraham R.
Abraham R.
Miller, first child of Amos B. and Esther (Rohrer) Miller, was
born on Aug. 8,
1868 near Millersville, Pa.,
and died Dec. 31, 1968 at his home in Elkhart, Ind.,
at the age of 100 years,
four months, and 23 days. He was married
to Salena Belle Wade on March 19, 1896, in Lancaster County, Pa. She died on June 25, 1943.
In the late
summer of 1896 Mr. and Mrs. Miller started for the "West," ex-pecting
to go as far as Illinois
where some of Mrs. Miller's relatives had located.
Rev. J. K. Brubaker, who married the Millers,
urged them to stop in Elkhart,
Ind. And visit the
Mennonite
Publishing House. This they did,
spend-ing the first few days in the home of Bishop J. F. Funk, founder
of both
the Publishing House and the Prairie Street
Mennonite Church. The
Millers liked what they saw in Elkhart,
decided to stay, placed their membership at Prairie Street
Church
and bought a home.
Mr. Miller
enrolled in a class at the Elkhart Institute, which later became Goshen College. He
became a member of the choral group
directed by A. B. Kolb, son-in-law of J. F. Funk and noted song writer. He worked several years for the New York
Central Railroad, and then for many years was a sheet metal contractor,
installing furnaces and repairing them.
Mr. Miller
was present when the first missionaries from the Mennonite
Church were appointed at the Prairie Street
Church to begin mission work
in India. He continued his interest in missions and
evangelism to the end of his life, frequently attending the annual
meeting of
the Mennonite Board of Missions and Charities.
In 1936 he gave an annuity of $1,000 to purchase the lot upon
which the Lyon
Street Mennonite Church
was built. [Hannibal,
Missouri]
The Millers
became parents of four daughters, all living today: Mrs. Cleo (Nellie)
Mann of
Nampa, Idaho, Mrs. Nelson E. (Christmas Carol) Kauffman, Mrs. Claude
(Esther)
Bigler, and Mrs. Walter (Helena) Meyers,
all of Elkhart. After the passing of his wife in 1943 he and
his daughter, Mrs. Bigler, lived together in the family home at 145 W. Indiana Ave.
until the day of his passing.
After a
brief service at the funeral home on Friday morning, Jan 3, the body
was laid
to rest in the Prairie Street Cemetery,
and following that a memorial service was conducted at the Prairie Street Mennonite
Church
by Pastor Russell Krabill.
On Aug. 8,
1968 he was 100 years old and on Aug. 10 all of his children,
grandchildren and
great-grandchildren celebrated his 100th birthday and had an open house
at the Prairie
Street Mennonite Church
fellowship hall.
Obituary in Funeral Bulletin
--------------
Abram Rohrer Miller was born in
Millersville, PA
on August 8, 1868. He was raised in Lancaster County, PA. His mother, Esther Habbeggar Rohrer, died
when his brother Ephriam was born. He
was sent to live with his maternal grandparents. When
his father, Amos Buckwalter Miller,
remarried to Barbara Strickler, he returned to live with his father and
step-mother but had a very unhappy relationship with her, in part
because his
grandparents instilled in him negative attitudes about her. He married Salena Belle Wade, a school
teacher, on March 19, 1896 in Quarryville, Lancaster County, PA. Soon after their marriage they moved to Elkhart, IN
where they
became members of the Prairie
Street Mennonite Church. "A.R.", as he was known to friends,
was engaged at different times in tinning and steam fitting. In later life he installed and repaired
furnaces. He lived to be 100 years, 4
months and 23 days old. All the
children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren gathered to celebrate
his 100th
birthday with an open house at the Prairie Street
Mennonite Church. He
was alert and on his feet all afternoon,
greeting friends. After the family was
all gone he told Nellie and Cleo, his oldest daughter and husband, that
he felt
like Jacob. He had gathered his children
around his bed and now he was ready to pull his feet up into bed and
"go
home". He remained alert and
conversant until hours before his death.
Source Unknown
---------------
Elkhart
Centenarian Dies;
Worked Until 4 Years Ago
Abraham R.
Miller, 100, 145 W. Indiana,
died Tuesday afternoon at his home.
Born Aug.
8, 1868, in Millersville, Pa.,
he married Selena Bell Wade March 19, 1896, in Pennsylvania. She
died June 25, 1943.
Mr. Miller
owned and operated a sheet metal business until 1924.
After selling this business, he continued to
do sheet metal work until he was 96 years old.
He was a
member of Prairie
Street Mennonite Church
since 1897 and is
the last surviving member of the YMCA Shop Chorus.
This organization traveled widely and
performed at the old Bucklen Opera House.
He was
active in all phases of the church's mission work.
Memorial contributions may be made to the
Bethel Orphanage, Haifa,
Israel.
Surviving
are four daughters, Mrs. Cleo A. (Nellie) Mann, Nampa, Idaho; Mrs.
Nelson E.
(Christmas Carol) Kauffman, Elkhart; Mrs. Claude (Esther) Bigler,
Elkhart; and
Mrs. Helena Meyer, Elkhart; seven grand-children and 18
great-grandchildren.
Friends are
being received today at Hartzler-Gutermuth Funeral Home.
Services will be Friday at 10 a.m. at the Prairie Street
Mennonite Church, the Rev. Russell
Krabill officiating. Burial will be in Prairie Street Cemetery.
Obituary: Elkhart [Indiana]
Truth, Jan. 2, 1969
Submitted
by: Mona Mann
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- Mennonite Church USA Historical Committee & Archives
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