Remembering Pauline (Miller) Pollock Murray

Pauline (Miller) Pollock Murray
Age 16

It’s been nearly four years since we lost aunt Pauline Pollock Murray.  She died June 8, 2007 at Port Arthur, Texas.  She had lived in nearby Vidor, Texas, most of her life and reportedly never overcame an ear infection and a subsequent case of pneumonia when she died at age 79.

Pauline Louise Miller was the tenth of eleven children born to German-Russian immigrants Peter and Dora Miller, who had moved to Whitney, Nebraska in 1927 from the Scottsbluff area.  Pauline was born on October 19^th of that year, and she was the first of only two Miller children born in Whitney.  Younger sister Evelyn was born about three years later. 

As is true for most of the Miller family, little information remains about their years in the small Dawes County community of Whitney.  Pete and Dora Miller moved several times after they met and married in Longmont, Colorado in 1909.  Their residences included Chicago, Illinois; Watertown, South Dakota; Bayard, Nebraska; Scottsbluff, Nebraska, and perhaps another place or two in the North Platte River valley region around Scottsbluff.  They were among several German-Russian families from "the valley" to move to the Whitney area after creation of Whitney Dam and the irrigation district that brought new opportunities to the region.

The old Whitney School was built in 1922

Pauline was 12 years old when she participated in a Whitney Grade School operetta entitled “The Golden Whistle,” in which she portrayed the Fairy Queen.  It was performed in the Whitney School on March 15, 1940. Interestingly, the building in which that operetta took place still stands – but its future appears bleak.  The adjacent newer Whitney School will close permanently at the end of this school year, marking the first time in 125 years that there's been no school in Whitney.  The Chadron Board of Education, which now governs all public schools in the county, intends to sell off the property. Rumors have abounded for years that the “old” Whitney School – shown here – would be torn down.  That prospect now appears imminent. 

Bertha and Pauline
Undated

By the way, you'll find a picture of Pauline as the Fairy Queen, along with several other photos of Pauline and other Miller family ancestors/descendants, in the Miller Family Gallery.  

As she approached her teen years, Pauline wanted to go to Texas, where her older sister Bertha had gone some years earlier.  One family story says that Pauline's mother was reluctant and unwilling to allow her young daughter to make the trek, but that older sister Bertha suggested to Pauline that she simply cry while asking Grandma Miller for permission to go.  It apparently worked!   

After making the move to Texas, Pauline met and then, in 1948, married Olen Pollock.  They would have four children – Paulette, Mike, Sharon, and Linda.  All of the children and their families have remained in Texas.

Of all the children of Pete and Dora Miller, we doubt that any were any more a person of faith than Pauline.  As with most families, the Pollocks certainly had challenging, rewarding, sorrowful and joyful times.    It was revealing to me that after her divorce from Olen, they both found a civility with one another that served the family well.  

But good fortune smiled upon Pauline and she married again – to Mitchell Murray, who had grown up in Louisiana.  Like Pauline, he also had four grown children.  Mitch and Pauline wed in February 1971 at Vidor and made there home there for many years.   

After Mitch passed away in 1997,  Pauline remained in their home for a while, but eventually moved to a nice retirement complex on the edge of Vidor.

This photograph of Pauline and her children was taken in May 2000.
Standing left to right are Linda, Mike, Sharon, and Paulette.

Shortly after aunt Pauline passed away in 2007, we wrote the following:

“I believe it was her strength of character and Christian faith that kept the family close. She told me after Mitch died, that she found great solace and joy in having her children near and so supportive of her and -- just as importantly -- one another. They have helped each other through good times and bad, and they were there for their mother as she ended her stay on earth.”

Grandma Miller was surely looking down and saying, "Well done, my loving daughter."  

Remembering Jan Miller...

One of the faces missing from the Miller Reunion this summer will be cousin Jan Miller, who died seven years ago this month.

At this writing, we don’t know if any of Jan’s family will be attending our June reunion, but we hope they might be able to join us.  In any event, we thought it would be good to revisit a few memories and photos of this outstanding cousin. While other older family members likely have more vivid memories of Jan, let me offer a few observations.  

If ever there was a good example of “pulling yourself up by your bootstraps,” we think Jan would be near the top of the list.

Friends and sisters-in-law
Fannie Miller & Lettie Miller

Jan was the only child of Fannie Miller, whose own life was cut short as the result of an automobile accident on U.S. Highway 20 just outside of Crawford, Nebraska, in September of 1937.  The injuries left her paralyzed and unable to care for her infant son, who would be raised in  Whitney, Nebraska, by his grandparents, Pete and Dora Miller

Fannie was hospitalized in Crawford – and later at Hot Springs, South Dakota.  There are few photos of Fannie Miller, but the ones we've found show a smiling young lady who was remembered by many as a very personable and outgoing person.  While she responded some to treatments over the 18 months after the accident, she would not survive.  She died at the Crawford Hospital in March of 1939, just a few weeks shy of her 20^th birthday.

A young Jan Miller

Jan grew up in Whitney under the watchful eye and loving care of Dora and Pete, whom he would call “Mom and Dad.” 

By all accounts, Jan was a good student – and a rather popular one. He attended school in Whitney, but ended up completing his education at Chadron Prep.

But by the early 1950’s, Jan was ready to get out and experience the world.  And that he did!

He enlisted in the Army and was off to Fort Benning, Georgia, where he would attend jump school and become a paratrooper.

"Mom Miller" and Jan Miller
probably taken about 1957-58

Alas, we know little about his military assignments, but we recall that he once said he had been stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.  Likely, that’s part of the reason he ended up living in Kentucky.

On May 19, 1956, he married Janette Haney, and they soon began their family.  Except for short times spent in Indiana and Pennsylvania, the state of Kentucky would be home for the Millers.

Both daughter Jan Rose and son Jerry Don were born in Hammond, Indiana – Jan Rose in 1957 and Jerry Don in 1960.   Younger daughter Joni Renee was born in 1964 in Princeton, Kentucky.

By the mid-1960’s, Jan and Janette Miller and their family were firmly ensconced in Eddyville, the county seat of Lyon County, Kentucky.

We recall visiting Jan and family in 1964 when we were traveling through on our way to a Navy base in Florida.  At that time, the Millers were living in a rental house on the edge of town, while their new home was being built.  Our visit was short – but very enjoyable.

It still brings a chuckle when I recall later telling a southern friend that I had visited a cousin in Eddyville, Kentucky.  This friend apparently knew that Eddyville was a well-known location across the region.  He grinned and asked what my cousin was “in for.”  It seems that Eddyville was – and is – home to the Kentucky State Penitentiary.

Jan shared stories with us about working in the mills around the region, but it wasn’t too much later that he changed careers and became an insurance man.  By all accounts a successful one.

Cute Hillary Chambers and
her grandpa, Jan Miller

Some 30 years later, in the 1990’s, we were on a business trip not far from Eddyville, so we rented a car and went to visit Jan and Janette, this time in that new home they had built in the 1960’s.  It was a delightful visit, and this time we were able to see their kids and some of their grandchildren, too.  We've added just a few photos from that visit in our Miller Gallery. It was clear to us that Jan’s life was built around his family.  It was a great visit.

Jan and Janette came back to Nebraska for the last Miller Reunion in 1988, a special treat for so many cousins, aunts, and uncles who’d not seen him for many years.  Many of them had never met Janette.    

Jan quit smoking in the mid-1990’s, but a variety of health issues began to plague him.  A trip to the doctor for sinus problems in 1999 resulted in the detection of a large tumor that could be removed only by a delicate surgery.  It was an unbelievably large 22-pound malignant tumor.  Unfortunately, it was not Jan's only bout with internal tumors.  Some time later, another tumor – about the size of a football – was removed.

Jan and Janette Miller

We visited with Jan by telephone a few times during this difficult period.  It was clear that his strength was sapped, but his spirits seemed high. 

At one point when his health issues had subsided a bit, Jan was well enough to travel back to Nebraska for a school reunion at the Chadron Prep School.  As we have occasion to visit Nebraska, we still have folks from around the Whitney area ask about Jan..

Despite a valiant fight, Jan Miller succumbed to his many health issues and died on April 22, 2004.  It was his mother’s birthday. May he rest in peace.

Reunion Time! Park shelter reserved for June 25th

The surviving children of Pete and Dora Miller
gathered in Chadron for the 1988 Miller Reunion.

Another step has been taken in plans for the Miller Family Reunion scheduled for next summer in Nebraska.

We've reserved the Wilson Park Shelter in Chadron for all day on Saturday, June 25th.  That's the same location where the Millers gathered 22 years ago, when we had our last reunion.  Of course, we've lost many loved ones since that time, and this may well be the last time that many of us will see one another for a good long spell.  So, we hope that all "cousins" and "in-laws" will plan to join us for this informal get together from Friday, June 24th through Sunday, June 25th. 

Cousins Pete Miller in Metaline Falls, Washington, and Larry Miller in Spearfish, South Dakota, have sent postcards out to a couple of dozen folks in an effort to collect addition names/addresses/phone numbers and e-mail addresses of as many of our family members as possible.  We've found that many addresses we have are incomplete, phone numbers have changed, or e-mail addresses no longer work. We want to make sure that even the most distant cousins know about our gathering and have an opportunity to attend!  We'll do a more complete mailing with further information in February.

Marie Derrick and Bertha Bird - 1988

Please call or e-mail us with your contact information -- and tell us how we can reach others in your family branch who should know about the reunion.

Larry    (605) 722-6018  ~  dakotamillers@gmail.com

Pete    (509) 446-3915  ~  pjmiller@povn.com 

At this writing, there is no specific agenda -- but lots of ideas.  For many of us, just having a chance to visit with family we've not seen for a long time will be the primary goal.   It's also an opportunity to visit Whitney, which was home to our parents/grandparents for more than half a century.  A visit to the Whitney Cemetery would be in order, since many of our ancestors are at rest there.  Please let us know your ideas and suggestions regarding the reunion.

And bring your cameras, there's bound to be
some fun -- and tomfoolery!

There's lots to see and do around the area, too!  Two of the most beautiful state parks of Nebraska are within 30 minutes -- Chadron State Park and Fort Robinson State Park.  Both offer cabins and camping, as well as a variety of recreational activities the whole family can enjoy.  There's also hiking, biking, golf, and trail rides.  Fort Robinson has a great museum, and there are also fine historical museums in both Chadron and Crawford.

And you might want to bookmark this web site, since we'll continue to provide updated information here, including lodging options, recreational activities, and other reunion-related tips.

Mark your calendars and plan to join us for the Miller Family Reunion, June 24-26!

Help us plan for the reunion...

From the Czar's army....to America

He was buried 100 years ago in Mountain View Cemetery on the north side of Longmont, Colorado.   But there is no tombstone.  No marker.  Nothing that tells us anything about this German-Russian immigrant who escaped the hard life of Russia for new opportunities in America.

Conrad Luke Eckerdt
Undated photograph

This man, Conrad Eckerdt, was born July 12, 1858 in the German colonies along the eastern “wiesenseite”  (meadow side) of the Volga River.  We don't know exactly where he was born, but the discharge documents from his service in the Russian Army listed the village of "Splavnukha" as home.  The Germans living there called the colony “Huck.”  Conrad's parents were listed as Lewis (Luke) Eckerdt and Lizzie Liesmann, and he had at least one brother, Philip. 

The German colonists were largely a segregated group, preferring to remain unto themselves; however, the changing requirements of the Czar's rule discontinued the exemption from military service that German colonists had long enjoyed.  So it was in 1880 that Conrad Eckerdt entered the Russian military.  He was 22 years old and was described by one of his acquaintances as a "good-sized" man, and he would serve five years in the Czar's army. 

Conrad Eckerdt
Army discharge document

On March 6, 1885, Private Eckerdt, who had worked as a "Staff Helper" in the 96th Reserve Battalion, was discharged to the army reserve.  He returned to Schwed, and that's probably where he met Maria Dorotea Wilhelm.  There are no documents listing a date of marriage for the Eckerdts, but they were supposedly married by the Lutheran pastor from nearby Rosenheim parish sometime between 1885 and 1890.  Their first child, Alexander Eckerdt, was born on October 1, 1890.  

Some years later, Eckerdt was described by acquaintance Fred Gorr as a "pretty good carpenter," so he may have pursued that kind of work upon his return to Schwed.  However, Gorr also remembered that at some point, Conrad Eckerdt worked at a flour mill for an uncle named Kriegel.  

In January of 1892, Conrad and Maria had their second child -- Dora.  There are no documents to substantiate it, but family hearsay indicates that Maria Dorotea died giving birth to her daughter.

So Conrad was left to raise his two young children alone.  But at some point between 1892 and 1900, he remarried.  His new bride was the widow Helena (Lena) Neuwirth, who also had a son, Henry.  Conrad and Lena remained in Schwed for the next few years before packing up and leaving Russia in early 1905, headed for America.  They made their way to Bremen, Germany – probably by train – and then sailed from Bremen on March 29, 1905, destined for the United States.

There are lingering family stories that some of the colonists from Schwed -- like so many immigrants at the turn of the 20th century -- were not allowed to enter the United States because of “pink eye,” but that was not the case for the Eckerdts. 

They arrived in Galveston, Texas, on April 20th aboard a ship of the “Missler” line.  Arrival documents indicated that their destination was Denver and that  “Dorothea Schneider, 18,” accompanied the family.  She was listed as a niece to Conrad Eckerdt.

Peter & Dora Miller
Wedding photograph
March 21, 1909

Marie (Miller) Derrick, a granddaughter to Conrad Eckerdt, remembered being told that the family was met in Galveston by an unnamed uncle, who escorted them to Longmont, Colorado.  It was there that Conrad would would find work in the sugar beet fields of Boulder County.   And it was also where young Dora Eckerdt would meet another “Volga Deutsch” immigrant, Peter Miller.  They married on March 21, 1909.  He was 23 years old.  She was 21. 

According to the Longmont Call newspaper, Pete and Dora were married at the Longmont City Hall, which served as the temporary worship site for the Evangelical Peace Lutheran congregation organized in 1907 under the leadership of Rev. Wm. I. Busch.  It was Pastor Busch who married the couple.  Pete and Dora's first child, Marie, was born in December of 1909, and they soon moved to Chicago, Illinois.

Alex & Marian Eckerdt
2006 - Au Gres, Michigan

Conrad and Lena Eckerdt remained in Longmont, however.  Just two years after his daughter had married, Conrad Eckerdt, who suffered from diabetes, succumbed to heart disease and died.  It was December 26, 1911.

His obituary in the Longmont Ledger of December 29,1911, said “Mr. Eckerdt was a Russian by birth.  He was not feeling well and was going to the depot to take a train for Denver to see if he could get relief, when he was taken down.  Friends took him in a carriage to go to his home, but he died on the way.”

Conrad Eckerdt was just 52 years old when he died.

His widow, Lena, would eventually move east, settling in Michigan., where numerous Eckerdt and Neuwirth descendants continue to live.  At right are Alex Eckerdt, Jr. and his wife Marian, whom we had the great pleasure of meeting during a visit to Michigan in the fall of 2006.  Alex is a grandson of Conrad Eckerdt.

Reaching across the sea -- finding a cousin?

In recent weeks, we've had the good fortune to make contact with a lady in Reutlingen, Germany, who may very well be a "cousin" to our Miller clan from western Nebraska.

Lydia Leis, who works as a translator, writes us that her family emigrated from Kazakhstan to Germany in 1991.  Her great-grandparents were Johan Friedrich and Elizabeth (Steinbrecher) Miller.  Both were born in our ancestral village of Unterdorf on the "bergseite" of the Volga in 1869.

While there is no picture of Elizabeth, we were delighted that Lydia forwarded us this undated photograph of her great-grandfather, Johann Friedrich Miller.  Johan's father was Philip Miller, but there is no additional information about him.

Lydia's charts show that Johan and Elizabeth Miller had six children: Eva, born in Unterdorf in 1895; Peter, born in Unterdorf in 1897; Alexander, born in 1902; David, born in 1904; Heinrich, born in Unterdorf in 1906; and Friedrich, also born in Unterdorf, but with no listed date of death.  David was Lydia's grandfather.  He married Rosalia Stenger, who was born in Baku, Aberbajan, located on the west side of the Caspian Sea.   Both David and Rosalia Miller died in 1980 -- her place of death is listed as Zelinograd, Kazakhstan.

David and Rosalia had two children:  Leo, born in Unterdorf, and a daughter whom they named Rosalia.  She was born in Kazakhstan, so the family may well have been displaced there during or prior to World War Two, but we can't be certain.  Perhaps Lydia will share this information with us if and when it is available.

Lydia Leis was also kind enough to send us a photograph of her grandfather, David Miller.  His older sister, Eva (Miller) Bornhoef, is with him in the photo, and we've posted it in our Miller Gallery.  Eva died in Germany in 1977.

We are hopeful that further examination of family records and photographs might allow us to learn more about the Miller families of Unterdorf.  There were several, and we suspect that most of them were related.  Only time -- with avid research, and a bit of luck -- will tell.

Remembering "Uncle Hank"

Henry Miller was born August 31, 1913, while the Miller family lived in Chicago. Before he was old enough to enter school, the family moved to Watertown, South Dakota, where Hank probably began school. However, it’s likely that his most formative years were growing up in the Scottsbluff area.

Pete and Dora lived at several location in “the valley,” and that’s where they lived as son Hank became a teenager. Although we don’t know, he may well have endured the kind of anxiety that many youngsters have when they’re uprooted from family and friends. Although the distance from the Scottsbluff to Whitney is not that far – in the late 1920s it was a formidable distance. Too, there were numerous aunts, uncles and cousins in Scottsbluff. Most likely, this was not a move that pleased Hank

By the time Pete and Dora settled north of Whitney, Hank was about 14 years old. By all accounts, he was a gregarious and fun-loving youngster. His brother Fred – who was about 10 years younger than Hank – remembers a time when a group of Whitney fellows were having a card party at Claude Stewart’s house, next to where the old Post Office was at the main intersection in Whitney. Among the group were Ralph Grant, Claude Stewart, Al Schmechel and his father-in-law, as well as Hank. It seems the group ran out of beer and “…they elected Hank to run to Crawford to get a case of beer.” On the trip back, so the story goes, Hank swerved to miss a mule by the road, and his car tipped over onto its side. Not injured, Hank sent word on to Whitney with a passing motorist. When the fellows arrived to help, Hank was sitting on top of the car drinking the beer.

Hank didn’t date girls much, according to his brother Fred. However, at some poinet in the early 1930s, he and Clarence Connell became acquainted with the three Field sisters, whose father was a railroad section foreman at Horn, north of Crawford. Clarence ended up marrying Mary Field, and – much to the surprise of many – Hank began dating Leora Field. Brother Fred recalls that Hank and Leora were planning to get married, when a horrible accident changed everything.

It was one day in about 1936 when Leonard “Red” Schmell approached Hank and asked him if he’d tighten the rods in Schmell's old Chevrolet. Hank agreed, and they headed to the grain elevator, where there was a hoist.

This was an air hoist that was used to help off-load wheat from trucks. The vehicles would drive in and the front wheels would set up on a platform, and a little air compressor would raise the truck and dump the wheat.. They put Schmell’s car on the hoist so Hank could get under the car and complete the work.

“He was just about done with it, and he crawled down under there, and that hoist came down on him – broke his back,” remembers Fred Miller.

Hank Miller would never walk again. He was 22 years old. He called off the wedding.

For some years, Hank was able to get around a bit on crutches, but he essentially spent the rest of his life in bed or in a wheel chair. For 20 years after the accident, Hank lived with his parents. With their passing, he lived for some time with his brother John and family in Chadron, before moving to the nursing home in Chadron. That is where he lived for the final years of his life.

Surely there were moments of anguish and despair, but Hank didn’t wear those emotions on his sleeve. He would often get out and about to family picnics and other gatherings and displayed a quiet but wry sense of humor.

Hank also found a place as a “fix-it” handyman at the nursing home. Since his days as a teenager, he had been interested in radios. His friendship with Bob Galloway, another Whitney resident who was an amateur radio operator, would lead to a life-long interest in shortwave radio listening.

Hank Miller died in Chadron, Nebraska on March 12, 1984. Like both his mother and father, he was 71 years old when he died.

Here's the scoop: Miller family reunion planned

From California and Texas to Washington and the Dakotas, Miller Family members will be congregating next year for the first family reunion we've had since the 1980s......and you're invited!  Of course, we're also hoping to see cousins from Alaska, Kentucky, Michigan, and elsewhere.

Mark your calendars for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, June 24-25-26 of 2011.  Tentatively, we've planned for the reunion to focus on Wilson Park in Chadron, although we can easily shift the site to either Fort Robinson State Park or Chadron State Park.  Both are within 30 minutes of Wilson Park.  And it's just a stone's throw away from the village of Whitney, Nebraska, long-time home to Pete and Dora Miller, our German-Russian ancestors who were directly responsible for most of us being here!

It was mostly our moms and dads and a few cousins that gathered in Chadron, Nebraska for the last reunion at Wilson Park in Chadron more than two decades ago -- so we're due!

This will be a wonderful chance for "cousins" to get together to meet and get reacquainted with relatives not seen for many years. Sharing photos, memories and stories will be punctuated with lots of fun things to do for the entire family in the beautiful "Pine Ridge" region of northwest Nebraska.

While details are not yet in place, we ask that you mark JUNE 24-25-26, 2011 on your calendars, and start making plans now to join in this celebration of family.

Importantly, if you can offer ideas and suggestions for this reunion, please let us hear from you. Just e-mail us with comments, questions, etc.  We're in the process of gathering names, addresses, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses of all our Miller relatives.  Please send your information (and that of any others who might be interested in the reunion) to cousin Pete Miller  in Metaline Falls, Washington or cousin Larry Miller in Spearfish, South Dakota.



We'll soon be posting information about camping and lodging facilities in the Chadron/Whitney/Fort Robinson area, along with phone numbers and web sites where you can get further details.

We'll post more reunion information on this site in the weeks and months to come, so please check back from time to time!

"Cousins" reunited in 1979

While we’re tempted to say this was a gathering of German-Russian “cousins” – and a couple of them are – there’s really a mixture of relationships reflected in this August 1979 photograph.

It was taken at the home of Katie (Steinbrecher) Behm in Scottsbluff, Nebraska. Shown left-to-right are: Pauline (Behm) Greenhalgh, Marie (Behm) Hergenrader, Marie (Miller) Derrick, and Katie (Steinbrecher) Behm. Click on the photo to see a slightly larger image, or visit our Miller Gallery.

Pauline and Marie – both born in Unterdorf, Russia – were the daughters of Pete and Eva (Miller) Behm. Marie (Miller) Derrick was a cousin to Pauline and Marie. She was born in Longmont, Colorado to Pete and Dora (Eckerdt) Miller. Pete Miller and Eva (Miller) Behm were siblings. At right is Katherine “Katie” (Steinbrecher) Behm, who was married to Alex Behm, an older brother to Pauline and Marie – shown on the left here. So…..Katie was a sister-in-law to Pauline and Marie (Behm), and a wife of the first cousin to Marie (Miller) Behm.

Confused? So were we for a while, but it’s finally beginning to make sense after all these years!

Sisters Pauline and Marie Behm were both born in Unterdorf, Russia. Marie was born in October 1901, some five years before the family chose to emigrate to the United States. By late 1906, the family was settled in Longmont, Colorado, where sister Eva (Behm) Lei was born in March of 1908. But within two years, Pete and Eva Behm pulled up stakes and returned to Unterdorf, and that’s where their daughter Pauline was born. By late 1911, they chose to return once more to the United States.

Such migration was surely a formidable task, even in the best of times. But we believe that Behm’s were not a well-to-do family, which makes their adventures all the more remarkable.

Remembering...

Pete Miller visiting the gravesite of his dad, Fred Miller, in late June of 2009 in a cemetery near Metaline, Washington. Born in Bayard, Nebraska in 1923, Fred died four years ago this month (12/05) at his home in Metaline Falls. Eighteen months later, his only surviving sibling -- Pauline -- passed away in Texas. They were the last two of the 11 children born to Peter and Dora Miller. Our on-line Miller family charts list other members of this German-Russian family and some of their ancestors.

Meeting Molly - born in Unterdorf!

One of the exciting prospects for learning more about our Miller family migration from Germany to Russia – then to North America – came last summer, when we had a chance to meet Molly Miller Both. It was during a trip to Washington state to visit family in the Metaline Falls and Seattle areas.

One of the few remaining “Miller” family descendants to be born in the Volga-Russian village of Unterdorf, Molly now lives in Marysville, just north of Seattle. While Molly and I had corresponded a few times over the past decade, we were unable to establish a firm link between our families.

However, with fewer than 100 families living in Unterdorf at the beginning of the 1900s, and with both families named Miller, it seems likely that there is a connection. While there’s still no documentation that confirms such a linkage, some aggressive sleuthing in the weeks and months ahead may well uncover something. At least, that’s our belief, and we’re proceeding optimistically.

Molly Miller was born in January of 1926 in Unterdorf, Russia, her family having survived the political upheavals and famine that cursed the Volga region in the early 20th century. That's Molly on the right, when she was about four years old. Our patriarch of the Miller line in western Nebraska, Peter Miller, was born in Unterdorf in 1886 – some 40 years earlier. By the time Molly was born in 1926, Peter and Dora (Eckerdt) Miller were in the North Platte River valley region of the Nebraska panhandle. Chances are, they were making plans or were already on their way to a new home in Whitney. Molly’s family would migrate to Canada, where she grew up, later meeting and marrying Nick Both.

Molly is convinced that our Miller families are related, and I agree. But we’re still searching for the proof.

Until we discover that elusive document, we delight in discovering a new “cousin.” Our visit with Molly and Nick Both at their home in Marysville was a joy, and it was a bonus to meet a few other other members of their family. Much to our delight, Molly also agreed to a short video interview, which we did on the spot!

One of the rewards of genealogy is bringing together long lost relatives. Even if those elusive documents confirming such a kinship are never uncovered, we’re so pleased to meet one of the few remaining “Unterdorfers” -- a lady we’d be proud to call “family.”

Surviving the Titanic

More than 10 years before the White Star Steamship Line launched the SS Titanic in 1912 for its destiny with an iceberg in the North Pacific, White Star built another vessel that was the biggest steamship at the time.

Like the Titanic, the SS Celtic was built in the Harland & Wolf shipyards in Belfast. With twin screws, it was twice as long as a football field and her displacement was more than 20,900 tons – more than any other steamship. Celtic was launched in 1901 and would provide long and significant service to her owners.

Our interest in knowing more about the SS Celtic emerged some years ago when I learned that my grandfather, Peter Miller, voyaged to the new world aboard the Celtic – likely in steerage, but aboard her, nonethess.

The year was 1906, and Pete Miller was traveling with his older sister, Eva Behm, and her family from Liverpool to New York City. They’d likely already endured a long train ride from Saratov, Russia to a port on the Baltic – then probably gaining passage on a ship to England. They all had made the collective decision to leave their homes in Unterdorf, Russia, not far from the Volga River, to find new lives in America.

They arrived at Ellis Island on September 30, 1906 and would make their way to Longmont, Colorado. Eventually, the Behms would settle in Scottsbluff, Nebraska. Pete Miller met Dora Eckerdt in Longmont, where they were wed in 1909, later moving to Chicago, then Watertown, South Dakota, before settling in the Nebraska panhandle, where they raised their family and spent the rest of their lives.

As for the SS Celtic: she survived well beyond the Titanic disaster. The Celtic was particularly noted for her steadiness in rough weather. In 1928 she was converted to a cabin class liner; shortly thereafter, she ran aground in the fog near the entrance to Queensland Harbor in Australia, ending her seagoing days. She was converted to scrap in 1933.