Allen Cowen Miller

Rev. Allen Cowen Miller, born in Fayette county, Pa., February 12, 1807, was the fourth son of James and Agnes Miller. His father died early in the twenties, for in 1826 his mother resided at Sewickley, Pa., where her son united with the Presbyterian church that year. From this period until 1829 he devoted all his leisure hours to study. In this year he was employed by Dr. Jennings, of the Christian Herald, to canvass for that paper throughout Northern Pennsylvania and Eastern Ohio, and continued in this position until the fall of 1831, when he entered the Bassenheim Manual Labor Academy at Zelienople, Pa. In 1832 he entered Jefferson College, and with the exception of the summer of 1835, studied there until 1837, when he graduated and entered the Western Theological Seminary, from which he graduated in 1840. He was licensed by the Ohio Presbytery June 17, 1840, and in June, 1841, was installed pastor of the church at Marseilles, Ohio. He presided over that church for seven years, and while there married Miss Mary Pierson, who died at Toulon, August 22, 1872. From 1848 to 1851 he presided over churches at Edna and Caroline, Ohio. On coming to Illinois in 1851, he preached at Roscoe one year and then became pastor of the church at White Rock, where he remained for nine years. During that time he organized the Presbyterian church at Rochelle and also preached there for two years. In the fall of 1861 he with his family settled at West Jersey, and in the spring of 1863 removed to Toulon and for four years supplied the pulpit at West Jersey. Subsequently he rested from ministerial labor, again preached to several congregations throughout this district, acted as bible agent and colporteur, and in 1873 revisited his old home and friends in Pennsylvania and churches in Ohio. On returning in January, 1874, he received a call from his old society at White Rock, which call he accepted. There he died May 12, 1874, and his remains were taken to Toulon to rest. Of his three sons, two are leading lawyers of Stark county, and the youngest lies buried beside his parents in the cemetery at Toulon.