Where are you,
Walter C. Miller?
And other yet unsolved mysteries…
Walter C. Miller is my 2nd great-grandfather
on my dad’s side. In the year 1888, on my great-grandfather’s (Burton John
Miller) birth certificate, Walter is recorded as the father, with Sophia D.
Dall as the mother. The birth certificate states that Sophia had 3 children,
including Burton John. Who are the other two children?
Walter is listed as 46 years old, which would mean he was born about 1842 or 1843.
Birth certificate copy from personal collection of Fred Miller
Following is what I have discovered so far concerning Walter:
1850 The 1850 census lists 6-year-old Walter with parents Nelson & Sarah. Sister Emma, age 3, has profession and value of real estate owned listed on line 25, but I believe that information is actually for Joshua Miller, on line 26. Joshua and Rhoda Miller are recorded in the same dwelling. I am guessing they are Nelson’s parents but will have to research more to verify.
1865 In 1865 there is a marriage record of Walter C. Miller to Juliet H Hubbard, on December 25th. This link does not list the age of Walter, so further research into marriage is needed to verify if this is “my” Walter C. If he is, he would be about 22, as the 1860 census lists him as 17.
1870 The 1870 US Census lists Walter C, age 27, farmer; Juliet, age 27, housekeeper and Wallace, age 4 mos. The age of Walter is consistent with his age indicated on his son Burton’s birth certificate. (I am assuming this is the Juliet listed with Walter in the 1865 marriage record, and that she is Wallace’s mother – further research will be needed.)
1879 On October 20, 1879, Walter C. married Sophia
D. Dall, in New York. Walter’s parents appear to be Nelson & Sarah R., and
Sophia’s parents appear to be Clemens & Catherine. The handwriting is not
very clear on the document. No ages are listed
on this document, but we know that Walter C. Miller and Sophia D. Dall are the
parents of Burton John.
Ancestry.com - New York, U.S., Episcopal Diocese of New York Church Records, 1767-1970, pages 286 & 287
1880 The following year, the 1880 US Census lists Walter C., age 37 (cannot make out occupation), wife Sophia D., age 21, keeping house, and son Wallace H., age 10, at school. The ages of Walter and Wallace are consistent with the ages on the 1870 census, which would support them being the same people on both census’. Assuming they are the same people, Sophia would be Walter’s 2nd wife and Wallace’s stepmother. No further information has been found yet for Juliet. Research will need to be done to try to discover if she and Walter divorced, or if she died prior to his marriage to Sophia.
1888 In 1888,
Walter is listed in the death records of Arthur Nelson Miller, 8 years old and Emma
Roeina Miller, 3 years old. It is possible these are the other two children
listed on Burton John Miller’s birth certificate. Other death records for Emma
and Arthur indicate the father is W.C. and the mother is S. Walter's father was
Nelson, and a sister was named Emma, so these children may have been named
after them. I’ll have to really dig into this, but I feel like these are the “missing”
children. Depending on his actual date of birth, Arthur may not have been born
when the 1880 census was completed, and Emma would not have been born until 5
years later. Neither of them would appear on the 1890 census, as they would
have already been dead 2 years.
W.c. in entry for Arthur N. Miller, "Connecticut, Charles R. Hale Collection, Vital Records, 1640-1955" • FamilySearch
1890 There is no census available that Walter appears in for 1890 (most of the 1890 census was lost to fire), so it is difficult to determine who was in home of Walter & Sophia at that time. This census would be the first time Burton would have been mentioned, as a 1-year-old.
1898 A marriage record from 1898 indicates Walter married Estella Lorin, which would be his third wife.
1900 The 1900 census shows Walter with his third wife, Estella. Mother Sarah is listed, but with a different last name. It appears to be Hyde, but I am not certain. If Walter’s mother is living with him, where is his father, Nelson? Where is his son Wallace, who would be 30 at this time? Did he marry, or simply move out on his own? Did he pass away? This census indicates that Walter was born in May of 1843.
1910 The 1910 census lists a Walter C Miller, age 65, farm laborer, with wife Esther, age 52 and son Wallace, age 40, farm laborer. The ages of Walter and Wallace are again consistent, and in the marriage column (8) there is a 3 next to the M, indicating that this is Walter’s 3rd marriage. I would assume that his wife Estella, who was listed in 1900, is the same person as Esther and that the enumerator listed her incorrectly. Will need to verify which name is correct. Mother Sarah is not on this census, so she has either passed away or moved in with someone else. Why is Wallace back in the household?
After the 1910 census, I have found no further record of Walter C. I have no idea of his death date.
From what I have concluded, he was married three times,
had children by at least two different women, and had 2 children die at very
young ages. Lots more research to be done to verify what I’ve found so far, and
to find out when he died.
WHERE ARE YOU
WALTER C. MILLER??
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