My father was born in Derry, Pa. on Sept. 27, 1853, the son of James and Mary McGuire. Died March 19, 1933.
My mother was born on a farm north of Wooster on Sept. 5, 1854, the daughter of John and Martha Miller. Died Feb.11, 1913.
When my father was 7 years of age, his parents moved to Jeromesville, 0. He had two sisters, Ella Kiefer and Ida Davis. His father was a furniture maker. He had made the chairs Grandpa had in his kitchen. I wish we had kept them. Soon after moving he entered the civil war where he died of a disease called dysentary. Aunt Ida died when her baby, Ida, was born. Davises raised her and I never saw her. That happened when I was quite young. My great Grandma Goodman and her whole family lived around Jerome and Ashland, 3 girls and 2 sons. Those people who attended Grandpa's 75 birthday at our house were her descendents.
Grandfather Miller was married three times. His first wife was the mother of Mary Sindeldecker (Nettie's mother) and Maria Jane (Jennie), my mother. I wish you both could have known her. Grandma died when they were young. An aunt kept house until he remarried - - Aunt Lulu and Uncle John's mother. She died when Uncle John was 3 years old, then Mother was housekeeper until she married. Ben and Mary both had married. At that time Grandpa owned two large farms and when he died in 1901 he owned 40 acres. He had lost it all thru being too kind and trusting of everybody. He raised two other children besides his own, Henry Caskey and his third wife's niece. She was the only Grandma Miller we knew. Mother had lived with Uncle Ben's awhile and attended school at Ashland. That was where she and D.W. (Daniel McGuire) met. He was also attending Ashland school. They and Uncle E.B.s were all married the same day. E.B.'s always lived in Jeromesville where he taught school and my parents (to be) moved into the first house west of the lane where they later lived. Grandfather Miller owned the house. That was where Ralph was born. When he was three years old (he was 8 years older than I)they bought the land across the creek and built the house where they always lived until they moved to Wooster in 1910. That Was where Fern, I, Ray and Joe all arrived to be permanent boarders. When Mother died, Uncle Will's (NOTE Sindeldecker) moved home to stay with Grandpa. Nettie was a baby. In a few years Aunt Mary got arthritis, then they had to leave the farm and moved into the house Dad's had vacated. Later moving back to Stark Co. Nettie and Ralph played together. Then Grandpa married again, soon sold his farms in Chester Twp. and bought 40 acres near Lattasburg where they lived until he died. I forgot to say that he owned and lived on a farm (now Ashley Smyser farm off the road at the top of Congress hill. The house burned down a few years ago. Ashley had another built.
Father taught school in winter and raised berries & truck in summer. A country teacher was hired for only one term at a time, 5 mo. in winter, 3 mo. in summer-later 6 mo.- and it seems to have been tradition that a teacher was not to stay long at one school. Consequently he had taught at almost every school in Chester Twp. and some in Plain Twp. He taught 32 years, then he started with Ohio Farmers Ins. Co. and quit raising truck.
I was inclined to be a tomboy but Fern was a lady and helped mother in the house. Of course she helped to pick berries, cucumbers, etc.
When Ralph was old enough to work some away from home, I took his place as chore boy. I am 4 years older than Ray. I loved animals and made pets of everything we owned. If a horse or cow got loose and Dad or the boys couldn't catch it, they would call for me and I would usually coax it up.
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