Wednesday, November 09, 2011

Whatever Happened to Adela Miller?


She disappeared sometime between 1880 and 1900. For twenty years she was listed on her family's census form: Adela Miller. Meanwhile her other siblings--Lucy, Julia, Robert, Elmer, George--remained. Lucy would leave after the 1900 Census, Robert would become the man of the house for the 1910 after Papa Miller would pass away in 1909. Elmer would move to Oregon and George would also disappear. George, I believe, stayed in the area but after 1880, the trail for Adela stopped. Census forms for 1890 were destroyed by a fire and she is absent from 1900. The Kansas 1885 Census forms are not available online which means going to the Kansas State Historical Society is next on my list.

Adela Miller was born January 23, 1860 presumably in Lecompton, Kansas to George and Margaret Miller. Shortly after her birth they moved to Prairie City, Kansas where they would end up having seven other children, two not surviving past their first year. The two children are buried near the Miller house, which I've written about, and George, Margaret, Julia and Robert are buried in nearby Prairie City Cemetery. Last I knew, neither Adela and George Jr. were buried there nor in either of the other nearby cemeteries. That's something I'm going to attempt this weekend: go to Prairie City Cemetery and make sure they are not buried there because there is a very good chance they are, just not with the rest of the family.

I originally thought that she got married and moved away but I'm finding no marriage information and the person I thought she would've married (a laborer who lived with the Millers for about six years) stayed in the area and married someone else. So did she move away after getting married and is now listed under a different name that I don't know and can't find? Or did she die and her death and burial information is just not listed? Over the next week, I hope to find out.

You would think Veeblefester would know not to let Brutus head a project. Talk about your mistakes working into double figures...