John F. Miller, widely known and highly respected and beloved by all, has passed to thr great beyond. Always helpful, jovial and kindly, it was with deep regret that this entire community learned last Wednesday that he had failed to rally after a second operation at Sioux City and that another great soul had returned to the Maker.
John Fred Miller was born October 4, 1842, in Oldenburg, Germany where he lived until six years of age and from then until his fourteenth year he lived at Upschoert, Province of Hannover, Germany, when his parents immigrated to America, settling first at Dixon, Illinois, and in 1864 moving to Monticello, Iowa. Here he was married in 1869 to Miss Johanna Heeren. The family moved to Cedar county Nebraska, in 1873 and settled on the home farm on Lawn Ridge, where Mr. Miller lived for thirty-five years, he and his family going thru all the privations of those pioneer days.
To this union of John Fred Miller and Miss Johanna Heeren were born eleven children, three of whom died during the deptheria epidemic in Iowa in 1878. The living children are: Henry Johnson, Ella Engelina, William Fred, Edward August, Frank Theodore, Sophia Mary, Anna Margaret, Mathilda Johanna.
Besides the wife and eight children the direct family includes twenty-seven grandchildren.
In 1908, Mr. Miller and the family at home moved to Coleridge to make their home and build up a fine property, which was recently sold, and Mr. Miller had begun erection of another home nearer the center of town.
Death occurred on May 7, 1918, at about 11 P.M., at which time deceased was 75 years, 7 months and 3 days old. The funeral was held from the house Friday, May 10, being conducted by Rev. Ottersburg, and the remains were laid to rest in the Lawn Ridge cemetery. An enormous crowd of friends and neighbors gathered to show there respects and seventy-five autos were in the funeral procession.
The services at the church were conducted by the local pastor, Rev. Ottersberg, who was assisted by Rev. Kaiser, of Creighton, who preached a sermon in English.
All immediate members of the family were present at the funeral, including William F. Miller and son Claire, of Happy, Texas; Ed Miller and family of Wynot, Henry Miller and family of Crofton, and Mrs. R.H. Frerichs of Burke, South Dakota.
Mr. Miller will be long missed by the people of Coleridge, and the Lawn Ridge community and all will fully sympathize with the wife and the family in their sad bereavement.

Submitted by: Steve Hanken
Source: A Coleridge, Nebraska newspaper on or about May 7, 1918