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Subject: [IAHENRY] Henry Co. Bio-Amos McMillan
Date: Sat, 15 Nov 2003 16:52:47 EST

>From "Portrait and Biographical Album of Henry County, Iowa" Chicago: Acme
Publishing Company, 1888.

Page 568-572:

AMOS McMILLAN was born in York County, Pa., in the year 1805, and is a son of
George and Rebecca (Cutler) McMillan. George McMillan was born and married
in Pennsylvania, and during his lifetime was a farmer in York County. The
McMillans were Friends, and their ancestors came from England. Their children
were George, Eli, Susan, Amos, Jesse and Elisha. All the children came to this
State and county, and all except the youngest and Jesse were married in
Pennsylvania. George and Eli came first to Iowa about 1837, settling near Franklin,
Lee County. They each entered lands, and were followed by the brothers
Elisha, Jesse and Amos. All the sons entered lands, and they were purchased at the
first land sale held at Burlington, by Eli, for the entire party. George was
the first one married, Elizabeth Brunton becoming his wife. They brought with
them to Iowa several children, and Eli, who was a bachelor, returned to
Pennsylvania after they had located, and was married to Miss Caroline Vail. When
they returned to Iowa Elisha, then a single man, accompanied them. He
subsequently became the husband of Caroline Brown, of Franklin, Lee County. Her
father was an early settler of that county, and a well-known and prominent man.
Susan became the wife of Edward Wickersham, in Pennsylvania. He was for many
years a farmer in Lee County, where he reared a large family of children. At
the time of his death he was worth $100,000. Jesse also married a Brunton,
Lydia, a cousin to his brother's wife. Amos was first wedded to Hannah Armitage,
who bore ten children--Charles, George, Eliza, Jesse, Henry, Susan, Mary, and
three who died in infancy. Four of these are living, and are all married
except Charles. Jesse became the husband of Elizabeth Hill, and resides at
Primrose, Iowa. Henry wedded Mary Hoover; they are both deceased, having left one
son and two daughters. Susan is the wife of John Lewis, a farmer. Mr. Lewis
was educated for the priesthood, but later determined to be a farmer. The
death of Mrs. McMillan, mother of the children mentioned, occurred in Lee County.
At that time they resided on a fine farm, and the future was bright before
them, but sorrow and bereavement come to all, but Mr. McMillan found comfort in
the love and care of his children. Sevilla Andrews became his second wife,
and was the mother of ten children: Elizabeth I., wife of Sylvanus Bonnal, a
soldier during the Civil War, now a farmer of Lee County; Sarah K., wife of
Alexander Kreger, who died from the effects of wounds received at Pittsburg
Landing. She was the mother of one son by him, and afterward became the wife of
Watson S. Kester, of this county. Arthur wedded Annie Carpenter; Lydia A. is the
wife of Levi Gregory, a minister of the Friends in Salem; Hannah died at the
age of seventeen; Eunice is the wife of William Hagan, of Keokuk County, and
Florence wedded Albert Banta. Five children died in infancy. The death of his
second wife occurred in Lee County, and he selected for his third wife Mrs.
Sylvia Garretson, who was the daughter of Abijah and Elizabeth (Bailey)
Johnson, of Oskaloosa. Her father was a merchant of that city, and was formerly in
business at Waynesville, Warren Co., Ohio. His father, Micajah, was a very
wealthy and noted man in Warren County, Ohio, of which he was one of the first
settlers, and David Bailey, her maternal grandfather, was equally well known,
and was one of the earliest settlers of Clinton County, Ohio. On both sides the
families were Friends, and were in their respective neighborhoods the first
of their religion. David Bailey for more than forty-eight years never missed a
quarterly meeting, and both men were exhorters and active members of the
Society of Friends. Abijah Johnson had five sons and three daughters. All
received their education in Lafayette, Ind., Mr. Johnson for several years being a
resident of that vicinity. All these children have become noted. J. Kelly
Johnson is District Judge, and resides in Oskaloosa; Eliza, daughter of Dr. J.P.
Gruwell, became his wife. M.D. Johnson is a wholesale merchant of Los
Angeles, Cal., and is married to Miss Sue Avery, a native of Boston, Mass.; Overton
A. Johnson, a dry-goods merchant at Oskaloosa, Iowa, wedded Lida Kemper, of
Oskaloosa, Iowa; Warren C., unmarried, also resides in Oskaloosa, where he owns
and operates a machine-shop. Henry is a merchant of Los Angeles, Cal., and is
married; Rebecca is the wife of William Ransom, of Salem, one of the wealthy
men of this county; for many years she was a teacher in the city schools of
Oskaloosa. Annie is unmarried and resides with her brother in California, and
has been for some time engaged in teaching music.

Mrs. Sylvia McMillan is a cultured lady, and received her education at
Earlham College, Ind. In becoming the wife of Amos McMillan she assumed the duties
of a wife and mother, and nobly has she fulfilled for sixteen years her trust.
The children of the first and second wives have been cared for as tenderly
as if they were her own, and in return she is the recipient of their love and
affection in the highest degree, and is proud of the grandchildren and
great-grandchildren of her husband. Our subject is the only one of his name now a
resident of this county. He has been a liberal father to his children, and in
the pleasant mansion where we now write are assembled four generations of this
family. He lives at ease, surrounded by all that comes to those who have
diligently labored to earn a competence for old age. Each of his children were
presented by him with $2,000 cash, and some of them have become very wealthy, and
Charles is a large land-owner. The children are all well educated, Charles
and Jesse at West Point, Iowa, and the children of the first wife at Earlham
College, near Richmond, Ind. The children of the second wife were educated at
Whittier's College, in Salem. The family with one exception are members of the
Society of Friends, and all who are in reach of it attend the Salem Monthly
and Quarterly Meeting.

The portrait of Mr. McMillan, on a preceding page, shows him at his advanced
age to be a man of more than ordinary capacity, both physically and mentally,
and a true representative of the best class of Henry County's citizens.

END
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pat Ryan White
Camarillo, CA

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