The photographer was Albert Anthony, a traveling photographer.
On the front is written:
Epitaph - “If she was not what she might have been, hers the sorry, mine the sin”
The stone that marks her grave reads:
“If she was not what she might have been, hers the sorrow, mine the sin”
On the reverse is written:
Ellen (Nugent) Miller
age 16 b. 12 - 5 - 48
d. 2 - 9 - 79
Her full name was Rachel Ellen (Nugent) Miller and she didn't die on Feb. 9th. That was the day she gave birth to twin boys; one who did die that day. Ellen died the following day, on Feb. 10, 1879, aged 31 years, 1 month, 2 days.
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Rachel Ellen Nugent was born Dec. 5, 1848 in Steubenville, Ohio, the daughter of John Hutchinson Nugent and Ruth Eckles.
In this photograph she is 16. Two years later, one week after her 18th birthday, she married Elihu Lovejoy Miller (27) on Dec. 13, 1866.
Elihu Miller, the son of Joseph Baughman Miller and Elizabeth Conrad, was born in Bollinger County, Missouri on July 26, 1839.
During the Civil War he served in Co. K of the 10th Missouri Cavalry and Co. I, 2nd Missouri Cavalry. His record of battles and marches included much of Missouri, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee, and also Kansas and Arkansas. He listed his soldier’s pay at $156 per year.
After he returned from the war Elihu married Ellen Nugent and they had 8 children; 6 sons and 2 daughters.
Edwin Howard Miller b. Nov. 1867 d. July 17, 1877
Wilburn W. Miller b. Mar. 20, 1869 d. July 17, 1877
Clara Belle Miller b. Feb. 02, 1871 d. April 6, 1954
Anna Elizabeth Miller b. Mar. 17, 1873 d. 1904.
Eugene Aldrew Miller b. Nov. 21, 1874 d. Mar. 29, 1967
Ira Albertus Miller b. Dec. 15, 1876 d. Sept. 18, 1958
Twin Infant Miller b. Feb. 09, 1879 d. Feb. 09, 1879
Joseph Hutchinson Miller b. Feb. 09, 1879 d. Sept. 06, 1951
Their first two sons, Eddie (10) and Willie (8) were killed July 17, 1877 in Schumer Springs, Missouri, when the team they were driving with a load of hay became frightened by a hornets nest.
Eddie and Willie were buried together. Their stone reads …
Eddie and Willie
were killed
July 17, 1877
Aged
10 and 8 years
Children of E. L. and
Ellen Miller
Together in life, together in death, together in heaven
On Feb. 9, 1879, Ellen gave birth to twin boys. One of the boys died. Ellen died the following day.
And so it was written in stone …
Ellen
wife of Elihu L. Miller
died Feb. 10, 1879
aged 31 yrs. 1 mo's. 2 days
If she was not what she might have been,
hers the sorrow, mine the sin.
Elihu Miller was left a widower with 5 children, all under the age of 8. The surviving twin, Joseph Hutchinson Miller, was primarily raised by his grandmother and his Aunt Sara. There is an account of his early life given by his son, Ralph Connor Miller, in the book The Last Wagon.
After Ellen’s death, Elihu married Elizabeth Lee Nations, the widow of George Nations. Elizabeth had a small daughter, and she and Elihu had four children ...
Quintin Octavius Miller b. 24 Nov 1882 d. 20 Mar 1972
Flora Ellen Miller b. 6 Apr 1886 d. 15 Aug 1886
Ruth Viola Miller b. 17 Dec 1889 d. 14 Mar 1979
Noble Lovejoy Miller b. 2 Oct 1891 d. 17 Apr 1988
Elihu died Jan. 9, 1914 after being thrown from a wagon.
(unknown) Newspaper Obituary:
Elihu Miller, Dead
He was killed by his team or in other words, was so badly hurt that he died the following morning. Mr. Miller had driven over to Hilderbrand to get some material for repairing his house, and on the way home and near the house he missed his purse. He was standing up in the wagon looking for it and in some way the horses became frightened and ran away, throwing him out with the above stated results. The subject of this sketch was born July 26, 1839, and died Jan. 9, 1914, making him at the time of his death, 74 years, 4 months and 14 days old.
At the breaking out of the Civil War, he enlisted in the Home Guards and afterwards in the State Militia at Cape Girardeau, Mo. He re-enlisted in Company K, 10th Reg. and I, 2. Regiment for three years. He leaves to mourn his death, seven children; 5 boys and 2 girls, 2 brothers, 1 sister and 22 grand.
His life and death, in their beauty, emphasized a great truth, and that truth is, that no one can be truly great unless that greatness is used to advance that which is truly good, wish that all would properly realize and appreciate that truth.
We, the neighbors, with our united hearts of sympathy, offer condolence to the bereaved family and would comfort them with the thought: Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord. From henceforth yea saith the spirit that they may rest from their labors and their works do follow them. He rests from his labors, but his work still lives, they follow him and they are good. We laid his body away in the White Water cemetery to await the Judgement morning. A large crowd followed the remains to its last resting place. The funeral services were conducted by Rev. Miller, of Sedgwickville.
Pease to his ashes.
A Friend.
Elihu Lovejoy Miller and his first wife Ellen are buried together at Whitewater Cemetery.
On Elihu’s stone is written:
I have fought a good fight.
I have finished my course.
I have kept the faith.
******
******
There is nothing to identify this second photograph; no name, no date, no location. The seller merely said he thought it was a photo of a confederate soldier, the family name was Miller and both of the photographs came from the same estate sale.
I don’t know if this is a photograph of a confederate soldier or if it even dates to the right time period. The photo is small (2 ½ x 3 ½) and crudely cut. But they were found together and so they will stay together.
Update: I am leaning more towards the 2nd photograph dating from the time around the Spanish American War (1898).
Sources:
familytreemaker source1
familytreemaker source2
findagrave
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