Nancy has been to and photographed the gravesites in this small burial plot. She has given us permission to add her data here and we thank her very much for clarification on the MILLER line.
 

John H. Miller  born 08 December 1800 in Pennsylvania; died 30 December 1870  probably in Cedar Twp, Muscatine Co., Iowa. He was the son of  Joseph Miller and Katharine Botafield. He married Eliza Walton 18 June 1835 in Washington, Twp., Tippecanoe, Indiana.

Israel Van Buren Miller, born 15 July 1839 in Muscatine, Muscatine, Iowa; died July 1842 in Muscatine, Muscatine, Iowa.  Son of John H. Miller & Eliza Walton.

George Washington Miller, born 13 December 1840 in Muscatine, Muscatine, Iowa; died July 1842 in Muscatine, Muscatine, Iowa. Son of John H. Miller & Eliza Walton

There is probate for John in Muscatine County and a number of his decendents (including his wife) moved to Union County Iowa following his death.

The cemetery is in the timbure pasture far back in the hills. The spot is in a clump of lilacs off to the west of the tractor road with a fence around part of it.

The headstones marking the resting place of some of the Miller family are in this enclosure.

The information on the readable stones is:
G.W. Miller died July 1842
I.V. Miller died July 1842
John H. Miller aged 70 died 1870

Another page from the library records undated, but by a comment in the last paragraph appears to have been written about 1930.

 ALL MEMBERS OF THE MILLER FAMILY

Two of headstones bear date of 1842 and are encrusted with green mold.

 Situated on a hill about three miles west of the High Prairie church in an old private graveyard are three graves whos headstones bear the dates 1842, 1842 and 1870.

 The first two dates are inscribed on small markers about  8 by 12 inches. One reads "G.W.M. died July 1842." On a larger stone about 3 feet high and 18 inches wide is engraved "John H. Miller died Dec. 20, 1870. Aged 70 years 22 days. Asleep in Jesus." The lettering is encrusted with that green mold which attacks aged marble but the words can be read easily. All stones are in good solid condition.

 Sturdy three inch galvanized iron hollow fence posts, with braces of smaller iron set in concrete, support a four foot woven wire fence which is topped with a barbed wire to protect the graves and stones from trampling by stock in the pasture surrounding the rectangular lot.

 The graves with the markers of earlier date are evidently those of children, the two being placed on the north side of the enclosure. The larger grave-stone is in the southwest corner. Two young wild cherry trees have grown up about the center of the lot. Shurbbery, presumably lilac, with a last year's bird nest in its branches, taken up the space in the southwest corner. Thiick bluegrass sod covers the entire plot.

 Once sheltered by trees....

 Nothing known of history.

This "John H. Miller" who died in 1870, was born Dec. 8, 1800, less than a year after George Washington died. Had he had the opportunity he could have shaken the hand of every United States President-but Washington- down to Rutherford Hayes, 17 presidents.

 He could have remembered distinctly the war of 1812-14 and was old enough to have participated in the Mexican War (1844-48). At the time of the opening of the Civil War, he was 61 years old. While he may not have engaged in active war service, he proably served as a patriotic citizen at home. He might possibly had sons in the Grand Army.

 Presuming tht the small graves contain the remains of children of John H. Miller, those children were buried two years before the invention of the telegraph, four years before Iowa was admitted to the Union as a state and six years before the discovery of gold in California.

 It is sixty years since the body of John H. Miller was placed on the hillside south and west of the old house known to the oldest residents as the "Matt" Cochran homestead.

Last update: 08 May 2000