A First Settller of Salt Lake City, UT, Kanesville (now called Council Bluffs), IA, and Ft. Calhoun, NE.

(PIONEER ANCESTOR).

1) Bethuel was born on 08 Jun 1812 in Dalton,

New Hampshire. He married Amantha Martha

Jordan (her parents are unknown), about 1829

in an unknown location. He died on 12 May

1897, (just three weeks shy of his 85th birthday),

at Ft. Calhoun, Washington, Nebraska. The

names of his other wives were; Sally Hardy

and Harriet Maria Perry (Mrs. Williams).

2) Bethuel's middle name may be Jesse,

since on son William's Death certificate

his father is listed as "Jesse B. Miller".

3) Recorded in Journal History of the Church

"Early Members of the Reorganized Church of

Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints" Volume IV,

L-P, page 419; "Bethuel (spelled here as

BATHUEL) MILLER joined The Church of

Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints at Lincoln,

Addison, VT, and was baptised on 01 July

1838, being baptized by P. Brown. "

4) Bethuel is listed on the 1840 Census

Addison, Monkton, VT, P 29.

5) On NOV 7, 1840 Bethuel is Recorded as

being ; "Set aside for the ministry",

ordained a Minister in the Mormon church

and also became an ELDER at that time.

" Pottowattomie County, Iowa, 5th Ward

of Council Bluffs. Source: Page 49 "Journal

History of Church of The Latter Day

Saints, Membership Records 1830-1848,

compiled by Susan Easton Black,

Religious Studies Center, BYU

6) Around 1841 He moved with his

entire family and brother Willard

and Willard's family, first to

Nauvoo, IL, then to Macomb, IL.

7) According to the JHC Records; On

15 Apr 1844, Recorded in the LDS

General Conference Vol 6 ch 16 p

335, New Hampshire; Bethuel was

appointed to labor as a Missionary in

NH. "W. Snow 1st, Harley Morley,

Howard Egan, and Israel Barlow, Alvin

Cooley, David Clough, Sen., John S. Twiss,

Calvin Reed, Charles A. Adams,

Chilion Mack, BETHUEL MILLER,

Isaac Burton, A.D. Boynton."

8) After living in Nauvoo, Il, he is recorded

on the 1850 McDonough, IL Census,

Bethuel is recorded as being a Farmer.

His wife is listed as Martha,

(Her middle name).

9) Recorded in 1850 McDonough, Il

Census Index # M432-166 Page 319 Line

5 Milller A (Asenith) age 56 b: NH Page

319 Line 3 Miller B (Bethuel) age 37 b: NH

 

10) Around 1852, they left IL along with

the Gilbert and Runyan families,

all members of the Mormon Church,

in covered wagons heading for

Council Bluffs, Iowa,

11) Bethuel is recorded on the 1860 IA

Census Index. He was among the early

settllers at Kanesville (now called Council

Bluffs), IA. It is thought he opened the first

brick yard. on the site of old

Ft. Atkinson after that fort had

been abandoned.

12) During the early 1860's, Bethuel,

Amantha, and their children, moved

to Salt Lake City, Utah.

13) After Amantha's death in SLC,

UT in 1866, Bethuel moved the

family to Fort Calhoun, NE.

14) Bethuel Married Sally Hardy

on 04 August, 1879. Bethuel is

listed as age 73, and Sally as 69.

15) See attached article from the "Blair Pilot",

FT. Calhoun NE; "Elder Bethuel Miller, 84,

fell down the cellar steps at Henry Rix's store

and was seriousely injured. He was

taken to his brothers, W.F. Miller's

home on 13th Street." dated

December 11, 1890.

16) The Blair Pilot, article dated Jan 10, 1895:

41 years ago a colony of people left Macomb

, Il, for Kanesville, IA (Council Bluffs). Most

of them finally got across MO River and settled

on WC, and FTC (Ft. Calhoun?). Bethuel and

William F. Miller in 1866 after Jesse Murphy

and family from VA to PA to FTC, by mule team

and wagon. Bethuel Miller bought the mules,

drove them to Salt Lake City. The mules may

still be there but BM now over 89, owns

and lives on a small part of the farm Jesse

Murphy first lived on in FTC.

17) The Blair Pilot, article dated Dec 12

1895: "Bethuel Miller, FTC, Pioneer of

Kanesville, FTC, and Salt Lake City,

still sawing wood and will be 91

on Jun 8, 1896."

18) The Blair Pilot, 04 Apr 1895:

"Aged Bethuel Miller very sick and

at the home of son David on old

Fort Grounds."

19) At the time of his death, Bethuel

was employed as a Blacksmith in Fort

Calhoum and also ran a rooming house.

20) Although no record was found in

the IA Death Index for Pottawattamie,

Co, IA 1880-1919, I was able to locate

an obit for him; The Blair Pilot, (Blair, NE),

dated 17 May 1897 "Pioneer, Bethuel Miller,

who was buried in the Ft. Calhoun

Cemetery today, was over eighty five

years old. He was born in Vermont and

emigrated in an early day to Nauvau, Il,

and afterwards to Macomb. He left Macomb

for Iowa in 1853 and was among the early

settlers at Kanesville (Council Bluffs), and

Ft. Calhoun after spending two years in

Salt Lake City. He opened the first Ft.

Calhoun brick-yard on the site of old Ft.

Atkinson that was opened after the

abandonment of the fort. He was married

several times and leaves several children that

are now widely scattered, but has for several

years lived here with his youngest son,

David, on old Fort Grounds. The services

were conducted by Rev. Parker. Three of

his sons came for the funeral; Cornelius,

of Cresent City, Iowa, and Joseph and

William, of council Bluffs, IA."

21) Although I don't have many details

(such as whose baby this is, I found the

following at the Washington County Gen.

Soc. and will record it here as I read it;

Hopefuly another researcher will be able

to connect this child to it's rightful

parents. "Bethuel Miller, of Irvington=

6 months baby + on 6th month day,

= buried Ft. Calhoun, beside it's

grandfather." NOTE: The Mormon

records state Bethuel was born

in Lincoln, VT and mar: VT