Adam Miller Family

Cloyce, Doris, Evelyn, and Fay Miller were born in the early 1900's in a Harrison Township farmhouse, which still stands today, on Township Road P-3 two miles from the intersection of that road and Ohio Route 110. Early school days were spent in a one- room country school - Sheats School - a red brick school, now a garage, on County Road P-3.

Adam Miller

Adah Smith Miller

Their parents were Adam and Adah Mae Miller. Adam was born in that same farm house in 1872, one of the three sons of Adam and Henrietta Hollinger Miller. Adam's brothers, Charles and John, died in their early twenties. A sister, Mary, married William Wick and moved to Toledo. A grandson, Robert Wick, still lives in Toledo. Adam Miller (Sr.) was born in the Alsace-Lorraine region on the then French side of the German-French border. He came to the U.S. in 1849-1850 with a cousin, Peter Dietrich, and was involved in farming until his death at the age of 61 in September of 1890. Adam Sr. was a veteran of the G.A.R.

Adah Mae was born in a log cabin in Damascus Township in 1872. She was the daughter of Lewis E. and Agnes Shidler Smith. Mr. and Mrs. Smith moved to the farm in 1871 from near Tiffin in Seneca County. Lewis' forebearers had come from England to Maryland before settling in Ohio. He was a Civil War veteran of Company I, One Hundred and First Regiment, having taken part in Sherman's March to the Sea. The log cabin was replaced by a house in approximately 1883, and during that time the farm was expanded to 85 acres. Foundation stones for the new home were cut from the bed of the Maumee River near Grand Rapids and brought to the building site by canal boat and wagon. The home, since remodeled several times, still stands on Damascus Township Road 6-B.

Adah attended school in the one- room Odessa School House, which still stands, near the mouth of South Turkey Foot Creek. She later attended school in Napoleon and later attended Angola Normal, now Tri-State College, in 1890. Being a natural artist, she took up painting when in her early sixties and produced many paintings until in her early nineties. Adam was involved in various enterprises, including farming. Adam and Adah were married in 1898. They lived on the Harrison Township farm until 1914 when they purchased and moved to Adah's father's Damascus Township farm.

Cloyce, Doris, Evelyn, and Fay continued their education and spent the rest of their childhoods on the Damascus Township Farm. Evelyn and Fay live on the farm today.

Adam Miller Family

Adah Miller and her paintings

Cloyce married Stella Charlotte Walbolt of Waterville, Ohio, in August of 1925 and had two sons - Gary Alan and James Cloyce. Both sons live near Napoleon. Cloyce owned and operated an oil jobbership in McClure for nearly thirty years, retiring from the business in 1966. James C. married Joanne Barrett in 1957 and they have one daughter - Georgiana. Gary A. married Karen Bindeman in 1964 and they have two daughters - Alicia Joy and Laura Alane.

Doris moved to California in 1942 and is now retired after working for the Douglas Aircraft Corporation for over 25 years. Today she lives in Rancho Mirage, California. Evelyn studied music and taught piano for several years while Fay married Donald J. Walker and lived in Toledo until his death in 1964. Fay is semi-retired after spending several years as an executive secretary for a Perrysburg, Ohio firm.

Submitted by Mrs. Fay Walker