Born in Denmark, emigrated to Fountain Green, Utah, married there; and moved in 1896 to Richfield, Colo, and finally Sanford, Colorado.
Taken from the compiled Bill Miller History by Mary June (Peterson) Miller - 1969
With additions from memories of Voris (Miller) Cornum - 1989
And additions from genealogy research by Marilee (Cornum) Vannoy (typed in 2002)
Andreas “Andrew” Peter Miller, was born on the Island of Bornholm, Denmark, September 6, 1859 (tombstone date) or June 17, 1858 (LDS Church membership records). He was born to Hans Peter Moller and Kristense Hansdatter / Christence Espersen. Hans Peter Moller was born December 12, 1816, in Bornholm, Denmark. Andrew Miller was the 4th generation, as far as we have genealogy of, that was born and lived in Bornholm, Denmark. Andrew loved to tell about Bornholm he said he could ride his bike across the island in a day. At the time Andrew was ten years of age, his father, Hans Peter, passed away on January 24, 1869.
Andrew’s mother, Kristense Hansdatter was also born in Bornholm, Denmark, as well as her parents. She was born June 17, 1816. At the time of her birth the law in Denmark was that a child take their fathers given name and add sen (for son) or datter (for daughter) for their surname. Therefore she would have been christened with the name “Kristense Hansdatter” as her father’s name was Hans Espersen. In 1850 the Danish law changed to give a fixed surname, which was the same as the fathers surname. Therefore even though Kristense was married by that time, she would have used the surname of Espersen as her maiden name. Also the Danish language does not use the letter “C”, but to Americanize their name it was common for a person to change the spelling of their name using the letter “C”. As the such Kristense when in America used the spelling Christence. The family put her name on the tombstone as Christensa C. Miller and the birth date as June 10, 1816. (I believe both name spelling and birth day are incorrect.)
Andrew was the youngest of six children. The oldest child and sister was Katrine Kirstine Moller/Miller born in 1847, (married to Jens Jensen of Sanford). She was know as “Aunt Steeney”. She had three children: James P. Jensen, Mary Jensen Olsen, and Carolina Jensen Valentine. Second was another sister, Ann Katrine Moller born in 1849, (who also married a Jens Jensen, but settled in Utah). Third was a brother, Hans Michael Moller/Miller born in 1851, (who is found on land records in 1908 in Conejos county, Colorado). Hans was quite a “rounder”, so the story goes. He married a woman by the name of Annie, they never had any children. Hans is buried in the Sanford Cemetery. Fourth was a brother Andreas Jorgensen Moller born in 1853, and died at almost 4 years old in 1857 (before Andrew was born). Fifth was a third sister Josephine Caroline born in 1856 and died in 1857 (also before Andrew was born). It is easy to see why Andrew had been so petted by his mother, as she had lost these last to babies before Andrew was born.
The family had been introduced to Mormonism and converted through the efforts of the Mormon Elders. Andrew’s oldest two sister joined the church first, Katrine Kirstine was baptized in 1856, and Ane Katrine was baptized in 1857. We are not sure of the baptism date for the mother Christence or for Hans; but we assume it was about this same time in Denmark. Andrew was baptized at age 10, just a few months after his father passed away. It is not known if the father, Hans Peter was baptized before he died, but we don’t think so.
Andrew’s family all came to America, to settle with the Saints in Utah. Katrine Kirstine emigrated to Utah, several years before the rest of the family. Andrew age 17, along with his sister Ane Katrine age 24, came together to America. They emigrated on August 30, 1872, on the ship “Minnesota”; they arrived September 17, 1872. We are not sure when his mother Christence or Hans emigrated. The family name of Moller in Denmark, was changed to Miller when they emigrated to Utah.
I might note that it is a coincidence that both sisters, Katrine Kirstine and Ane Katrine, were married to men with the same name of Jens Jensen; but they are two different men. Ane and her husband, Jens stayed in Utah, she died soon after her first child was born. Kirstine (as called) and her husband, Jens moved to Sanford, Colorado. (It was through a descendant of Ane Katrine that I was able to find this information on Andrew’s brothers and sisters.)
Andrew’s wife - Marie “Maria” Kjerstine (Laursen) Christensen, was born on January 16, 1859, in Silkreborg, Skanderborg, Denmark. The Luthern Church Christened Record of Silkeborg, Denmark: Has name as Marie Kjerstine Laursen, who was christened on March 6, 1859. Her parents were factory worker, Lauritz Christensen and wife, Inger Christensdatter, age 26 years, who reside within Silkeborg city. Also listed as the witnesses were factory worker, Christen Therkildsen's wife who carried the child; factory worker, Christian Jensen, Christen Hansen, journey man and stone mason Schmidt. They live in Silkeborg. Marie was the oldest of five children, three brothers: Kresten Elling born 1860, Christen born 1861, and Lauritz Marcus born 1868; and one sister Cecelia Marie Magdeline born 1864.
Maria’s family had also been converted to Mormonism through the efforts of the Mormon Elders laboring in Denmark. Maria’s mother Inger was baptized in October 1870. The next year in December of 1871, Maria was also baptized at age 12. Both Christen (age 14) and Cecelia (age 11) were baptized in March of 1876.
Note: Maria took her endowments out under the maiden name Laursen. But on her marriage licence, she use the name Marie Kjerstine Christensen.
Lauritz and Inger were married in November 1854, he was 44 years old and she was almost 21 years old. Maria was not born for five years, this makes me wonder if their had been other children that did not live. We do not know if Maria’s father, Lauritz ever joined the Mormon church. He was 58 years old when his youngest son Marcus was born. We do not know when, but Lauritz died in Denmark.
Maria grew up in Silkreborg, Skanderborg, Denmark, but we do not know any details about her youth. Skanderborg is a county right in the center of Denmark.
We are not sure when Inger, and three of her children, Cecelia, Chris, and Marcus emigrated to America. But they joined the saints at Fountain Green, Utah. Inger C. Christensen was endowed in the St. George Temple in March of 1877. Maria did not come to America at this time as she had met and married a man by the name of Neils Edward Jepperson, and they remained in Denmark for a short time after Inger’s departure.
Mr. Jepperson had been married prior to his marriage to Maria, and three children two daughters and one son, had been born to this first marriage. His daughters, were older than his second wife, Maria. Jepperson must have been in his early sixties at the time of the marriage and it is said that he was a man of considerable financial worth. A “persistent cough” resulted in his death a short time after the marriage and Maria, a widow expecting her first child, was left in rather comfortable circumstances. What become of her holdings is not known; widows and divorcees were not well tolerated in the society of the day and she, no doubt, faced many problems.
Maria gave birth to Niels Jepperson Jr. who was born April 27, 1890, in Fountain Green. The child never saw his father. Maria was 30 years old at this time. Her mother Inger, and Chris, Cecelia and Marcus also lived in Fountain Green.
Niels had two older half- sisters and an older half-brother. The sisters came to America. One sister was an opera singer, who sang in Chicago, she was killed during the “Great Chicago Fire”. The other sister died in San Francisco in an earth quake. As contrary to the story of them sinking on the Titanic. The brother is believed to have stayed in Denmark. This has been told to Niels by his grandmother, Inger. (Information from Bertha Jepperson Mullins.)
Andrew Miller grew to manhood in Fountain Green. He was a large man, 6’2” in height and weighing about 185 pounds. He was employed on a farm owned by a man named “Ogard”.
Andrew remained single until he met Maria Kirstine (Christensen) Jepperson, the widow of Niels Edward Jepperson. They were married in the Manti Temple, Utah, on June 10, 1891. Andrew and Maria were each thirty-two years old, when they married. At this time, Andrew was baptized for his wife’s former husband, Jepperson, and it is thought that he also took out endowments for him. Maria was sealed to Andrew Miller. Maria’s son, Niels was adopted by and sealed to Andrew Miller, but he continued to carry the Jepperson name.
Andrew farmed a small acreage of land in Fountain Green. Times were hard and money was not easy come by; but there was little need for actual cash. Pioneer women knew how to “make-do” and nothing went to waste. A cow, a few chickens, and a garden provided a good share of the living. Andrew’s farm consisted of a few acres planted mostly in alfalfa.
The Millers were proud of their two-bedroom home in Fountain Green. It boasted a shingled roof and was kept neat and clean by Maria, who had a reputation for being a good housekeeper. Even her door yard had to be swept daily! Flowers thrived under Maria’s expert care her yard was filled with bright blossoms during the summer months.
Andrew’s mother, Christence, never forgot that Andrew was her youngest child and she always seemed to take his part. He had lived in her home for thirty-two years and it was not an easy thing to cut the “apron-strings”. Perhaps this was the reason why Andrew let Maria take the lead in all of their business and family dealings. When he was upset, he could go home to his mother for sympathy and advice. Sometimes he would even spend the night on the foot of her bed.
Andrew was slow and easy-going, but he was a good man, very honest and hardworking. He enjoyed the respect of his friends and neighbors.
Because Maria’s first husband had been a dressy, ambitious man, she reminded Andrew very often of his own lack of tidiness and ambition. Their son, Bill says that, in later years when he heard the joke about the preacher in church inquiring as to who was the only perfect man in the world, and the little man in the back of the church rising to his feet with the reply. “My wife’s first husband”, he was sure that, had the question been asked of Andrew, he would have given the same answer.
Family times were happy times for the Millers, another baby boy blessed their home on March 12, 1892, when Willard “Bill” Richard Miller was born. And yet another baby boy also blessed their home on July 1, 1895, when Lewis Marcus was born to the couple. The three boys completed the Miller family.
The Danish language was favored in the settlement of Fountain Green and may of the church meetings were held with sermons being given in the native tongue. Andrew and Maria always conversed with each other in Danish and the boys all spoke the language very well in their youth. Andrew of course soon learned to speak English, but always with a Danish brogue. Maria learned only a very little English and always spoke to her children in Danish.
In the fall of 1896, the family was called by church authorities to move to Colorado, as many of their friends had already done. Andrew traded his property in Fountain Green on an “unseen” basis for a home and about ten acres of land in Richfield, Colorado. Christian Jensen arranged the trade.
The Millers boarded a railroad train and journeyed to the San Luis Valley by way of Salida and Alamosa. Their one horse had been sent on ahead as half of the team that pulled the Rasmus Creamer wagon accompanying a train of saints enroute for Colorado.
Arriving in Richfield, they viewed their new home for the first time. It was quite a disappointment, as it was less spacious than the one they had left behind, and it had a dirt roof! What thoughts must have crossed the minds of this pioneer family as they remembered the lovely home they had left in Utah.
Ambition and courage were not lacking in these early settlers. However, they accepted the challenge of the situation with prayerful hearts and a great deal of determination.
The small home was located just north of the Joel Dowd home on the north end of Richfield. Other converts to the Mormon church lived in neighboring homes and the family was soon busy renewing old friendships as well as establishing new ones. Maria’s neighbors included Susan Johnson (Ralph Vance’s grandmother), Sister Gylling (Walt & Carl’s mother), El Mullins (mother of Jim), Maria Shawcroft (mother of Ella, Sarah, Dave, John, etc.), Ruth Coombs (mother of Roy, Burt and Clara), Polly Shawcroft (mother of Merle, Jim & Florence), Harriet Guymon (mother of Lydia Dowd), Kristensen Fredrickson (mother of Nora &, Hans), Maria Creamer (wife of Rasmus Creamer and second wife of Carl Fredrickson), Anna Lee Peterson (wife of Pete Peterson, sister of Alice Reed and step-mother of Stella, Bob, and Myron Peterson), and Sister Bernham (mother of Ed).
Meantime, Maria’s mother, Inger Christensen, whose occupation was the weaving of cloth, met and married a man from Fountain green with the name of “Weaver”. This was a rather unusual situation as people assumed that she was called “Weaver” because of her occupation. After Weaver’s death, Inger and her son, Marcus, joined a pioneer caravan and journeyed to the San Luis Valley, where she later made her home in Sanford, Colorado. She lived up stairs in the red brick home occupied by Orson Crowther. (1978 it was purchased by Pat & Marilee Vannoy at 395 Main Street). Marcus was referred to as “Marcus Weaver”, using his step-father’s surname. Marcus never married.
Marcus was said to have been a real sport and quite a ladies man. A real charmer, for sure! Maud Reed, first wife of John B. Reed, tells that he was a dream of a dancer, had a wonderful personality, and was so much fun to be with. Maud was apparently a very level headed young woman, for she dismissed thoughts of marriage to him because she was afraid that the would never settle down and become a good husband. How right she was - he never settled down, PERIOD! Marcus was a gambler, he lost his mother’s brand new buggy and a team of horses, due to his gambling. When the men came to get the buggy and horses, this broke his mother’s heart. As she was so proud of this new buggy. After his mother Inger passed away in Utah, he traveled throughout the country working here and there. He was worth a fortune one day and poor as a pauper the next. During later years he made his home with his sister, Cecelia Woodard, in Salt Lake City. (We are not sure where Inger was buried, but she did move back to Utah.)
Cecelia never came to Colorado. The church called in a group of young ladies of marriageable age. They had selected an older husband for each of them. Due to this Cecelia was soon to become a polygamist victim, even though her heart was in love with a young man by the name of Don Woodard. Cecelia was able to refuse this marriage and married Don on the 1st of July, 1891, in Manti, Utah. He became a professor at the University of Utah, and they had a beautiful home in Salt Lake City. Two children were born to this couple, Carlos and Alva. Chris Christensen, Inger’s other son, also remained in Utah, where he married and raised a family. His son, Lawrence Christensen and wife Vera, who resided in Bountiful, Utah.
Andrew’s mother, Christence Miller, also moved to Colorado and lived the remainder of her life in Richfield, in a large two-story red brick house located in the east part of town. The house is one block north of the old Shawcroft home now occupied by the Morris Miller family.
The Andrew Miller home in Richfield about ten acres of land, the horse driven by Brother Rasmus Creamer, and a few other earthly possessions were the family’s total assets at the time of their arrival in Colorado. They had each other and there was love and harmony in their home.
Andrew farmed his few acres of land and started work as a farm laborer on the ranch of John Shawcroft. Maria kept the home fires burning, the meals prepared, the washing and ironing done, and guided her three sons in the way of truth and right.
Their son, Bill remembers an incident in Richfield when his mother became furious because Andrew came to the supper table after milking the cows with his hands greasy. She told him just what she thought and he left the room, going out into the cold night. The boys soon followed their father and were told in the Danish Brogue that Andrew still used, “Your mo--thher doesn’t want me. I an to dir-rrty.”
It was no secret the Maria made a big point of cleanliness. Sister Lettie Jensen said many years later that Maria was a truly wonderful woman. She said that the three boys were always dressed looking as if they had just “stepped off the band wagon.” She had taught each of them to press their cloths just perfect with a seam down the front of their trousers.
Moving day came again for the Millers when Andrew purchased a nice brick home in Sanford. (This property later belonged to Claude Wilkinsen.) The family set up housekeeping once more, although Maria never felt very comfortable in this house. It was quite large and she maintained that it just didn’t feel very “homey’. Sometime later, Andrew traded the home for a smaller house with several lots, a few acres of land and some cash.
Again Maria made a cabin into a home! She was willing to lend a hand in earning the living and she raising chickens for Roy Shahan. Mr. Shahan operated the La Jara Flour Mill at the time and furnished the chicken feed for the chickens as well as paying her $20.00 a month plus all the eggs the family could use.
Although Maria loved her three sons very much there was an empty spot in her heart. A spot that yearned for a daughter to call her very own.
Fate seemed to play into her hands when she met little Nora Mayfield, a motherless child about eight or ten years of age. The girl had been living with her grandmother who found caring for the youngster a considerable task.
Maria arranged an adoption without fuss or fanfare, and certainly without any legal authority of any kind. She and Lew simply asked the grandmother if they could adopt Nora and the grandmother agreed. How lovingly Maria treated the little girl. Nora was given a wardrobe of new clothes fitting for an only sister with three brothers to love her and look after her. How Maria must have enjoyed ironing the ruffles and trims that were part of a girl’s apparel. Curling and braiding a little girl’s hair brought her a great deal of satisfaction.
Maria’s happiness was short lived for the girl had barely more than moved into her home and her heart, when the grandmother reversed her decision and decided that she could not part with little Nora. Maria was very attached to the child and it was with many regrets that she relinquished her to the custody of her grandmother. Maria never ceased to grieve for the little girl who, for such a brief time, was her “Daughter”.
Andrew was still a young man when he broke his ankle, a serious accident in that day. Bill, who was a young boy at the time remembers the accident very well. Several men (including Brad and Amos Wilson, Bert and By Reynolds, and several others) had taken a wooden rack pulled by a team of horses to Alamosa to purchase provisions for the hay camp. This was a journey of two or three days duration, at that time. Since the wagon was loaded with provisions the men and boys had to walk on the return trip. It was pitch dark as they traveled across the Head Ranch (the land northwest of Leonard Hartung’s). Andrew stepped into a prairie dog hole when his ankle broke. From that day on he walked with a noticeable limp and was considerably handicapped from the injury.
Sunday was a day of rest. Maria had spent many an hour ironing white shirts to be worn to church. The old and “sad irons” were heated a top the wood and coal stove and it took great care to see that no soot found it’s way to the fresh white laundry. The soot did serve it’s purpose for it was used to blacken the boys shoes. Maria merely turned the stove “lid” over, and applied the soot to the shoes. “Bell Hats” with brim turned up for Sunday completed their wearing apparel. The same hats, brim turned down, were worn to school.
Niels, Bill, and Lew continued their education in the old red brick school house located just north of the ball park (this is were the community center building is now). This building was later destroyed by fire as were several of Sanford’s early day schools.
Pioneer children were greatly needed to assist in farming activities and so it was that the school term was considerably shorter than it is at the present time. It usually began after completion of the harvest and terminated before the spring farming operations commenced.
It was a common practice, at the time, for boys to drop out of school at an early age. Few people attended high school and college was practically unthinkable. By the time Bill was in the seventh grade, about 1906, he was working a great deal of the time and had to end his schooling.
Bill found work with President James Jensen the Excelsior Ranch, and was soon earning his own support. One Saturday night he road into Sanford to see his mother and gave her some money. He loved her so very much and was proud to be able to do something for her.
A few days later on April 10, 1909, Bill was working at Excelsior when Bert Stevens rode out with the news that Maria Miller was very ill. Bill hurried to her side and found that she was afflicted with appendicitis. Dr. Hamilton from La Jara was there to take care of her, but her condition was very grave. She was in great pain moaning and screaming at intervals. Frantically, Bill and Lew went outside of the house and offered a prayer. It had been Danish custom that when death was near, a white lamb would come to take the dying. Bill says he will never forget, he and Lew seeing a white lamb pass outside his mother’s window and they knew she was going to die. It was hard for them to accept the Lord’s decision when her pain subsided and she soon breathed her last breath of life. Apparently her appendix had ruptured and the poison soon spread throughout her body. No surgery was ever attempted, when Maria’s spirit returned to her Heavenly Father at the age of forty-nine, leaving Andrew and three sons.
What a cruel blow this was to her family. Lew was fourteen years old at the time, Bill age seventeen and Niels age nineteen. Home life was never the same for the family again the warmth of the mother’s smile was gone! The money Bill had given his mother the previous Saturday was later found where she had carefully put it away.
Andrew was working for James P. Jensen at the time of his wife’s death, and so he moved into the Jensen home. Lew stayed for a time with the Ben Irving family. He and Bill went, as the old saying goes, “from pillar to post” making their home with anyone who would accept their labor in return for room and board.
The following November 3, 1909, Niels married Dorotha Rasmussen and took over the family home. They were blessed with two children, Thelma and Bertha. Niels was a carpenter by trade, but he had many other talents. He was an artist, when it came to drawing he was a whiz with a pencil. He could draw anything. He was also talented in music, like all the Miller boys he loved to dance. He played the harmonica, some of his favorite tunes were: “Turkey in the Straw”, “Buffalo Girls”, “Red Wing”, and many more.
Bill found employment on the Head Ranch with Mann Robbs and Charley Bailey as foremen. They were sheltered from the cold only by a crude camp. Later the Mann Robbs family made room for Bill and he moved in with them for a time. He made his way by assisting Robbs in planting a crop. Later on he got a job breaking up some land for Billy Spencer. Robbs took advantage of the situation by attempting to claim his wages but Spencer would not permit it.
Lew had found homes with first one and then another. After leaving the Irvins, he moved in with the Gilbert Reeds for a time and later “Hung his hat” at the Pete Cornum home.
A few years after Maria’s death, Andrew built a small two-room house just one block west of the old home, where Niels was living. Andrew and Lew lived together in this house for several years.
For a time Bill made his home with President James Jensen, his first cousin. By this time Bill was courting the girls. He married Maggie Jane Hutchins from Sanford, on November 1, 1916. They had five children. He also was musical and loved to play the harmonica and especially loved to dance. He was a very hard worker and farmer. (Other details of Bill are in his own history.)
Lew was a real hard worker. Doing farm labor and he made crates for the lettuce sheds. He could pound a nail faster than anyone in the country. He was known as a drop nailer. He would hold the nails in his left hand, and drop them one at a time, while he hit them with the hammer in the right hand, he could drive a nail with a single blow. If it had been world known Lew would have been in the book of world records.
Lew was a bachelor for many years. He was a real ladies man, taking after his uncle Marcus. He was a good dancer and had a winning personality. His nieces remember many of his girl friends as he was always bringing one over to Niels and Bill’s. He was very good to his nieces and nephews, they sure loved Uncle Lew. Lew was almost 30 years old when he married Minnie Creason on February 7, 1925. They had five children.
Andrew was the town fortune teller. The young people of the town looked forward to going down to “Brother Millers” and having their fortune read with cards as one of the highlights of entertainment.
Andrew later had a girl friend. We called her “Sister Creamer” and it looked like she might be his second wife. However, he suffered an accident resulting in a broken hip and this not only caused him to be a cripple for the rest of his life but also canceled any plans he may have had for marrying Sister Creamer. Carl Fredrickson started beating his time and they were married.
Andrew’s accident happened in 1918. He and Jack Luster were hauling a load of hay. As they drove the team (a white horse and white mule) whit a wagon load of hay upon the tithing yard scales to weigh it, the back end of the hay rack broke and caused him to fall from the load and break his hip. He was unable to care for himself so Bill and Maggie brought him to their home and cared for him for over a year. He laid in bed for several months with his leg hanging off the end of the bed and a ten pound bucket of rocks hanging from his leg. Maggie said he was a very patient man and never complained. When he was asked how he felt, he would answer, “Oh, I am git-in bet-ter, but it all takes time.” Later, when he was able to get around on crutches he moved back to his little home. His granddaughter Voris recalls, “I can remember when I was just a little girl about four years old, going to see grandpa, and he would always say, “Let’s see if I can find a lit-tle bit of can-day for lit-tle Wo-rus.” Of course, he always found the candy in a little sack in a cupboard drawer, which I can remember very well.”
Voris also remembered a little fish pond in Grandpa Andrew’s back yard which he had planted trees all around. She and Bertha and Thelma Jepperson had a play house in the trees, where they spent many hours playing together.
Later, Andrew became ill and could no longer live alone so his boys paid Sister Fredrickson (his old girl-friend, Maria Creamer) to take care of him. He passed away in the Fredrickson home, which later became the Nora and Theodore Hansen home (195 Fir Street), on Thanksgiving Day, November 23, 1922. Voris said, “Although I was only five years old at the time I can remember Bertha and I peeking under the sheet which covered him, and seeing the ice packed around his body and thinking how cold he must be. I remember Thelma ratting on us and Dad (Bill) got after us good.”
Testimony by granddaughter, Voris Jane (Miller) Cornum - “I fell fortunate to have these memories of my Grandpa. These people were true pioneers, they had no idea what might be ahead of them as they left Denmark. We should always remember how much the gospel meant to them, that they would leave their homeland and other family members to gather in Utah with the Saints. I know they too, would be proud of the descendants they have left and of the strength of the gospel in their family.”
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