In the early 1890's, John and Margaret Miller of Kewanee, Illinois came to Portland, North Dakota with their eight children
John, Joe, James, George, David, Adam, Margaret and Jane. Most of them settled in Lenora Township the following spring.
The parents, John and Margaret, settled on NW quarter of Section 11, Lenora Township. Joe homesteaded west of where the original home is and Nellie Simpson homesteaded 1/4 mile from there. Her parents, James Simpsons, immigrated from Colfoldie, Scotland in 1890's to Steele County.
JOE MILLER and Nellie Simpson were married December 25, 1893 at Cooperstown. Their first home was on Nellie's homestead located on N ½ of Section 3. A sod house, granary, and barn were built. They had quite a battle with bed bugs. A new home was built on W ½ of Section 2. They had one son, Joseph Simpson Miller. Nellie was one of the first teachers in Lenora Township at Torfin and Huso schools, driving an old mule from Simpson farm in Steele County.
Twice a year Indians passed through the farm on their way, coming and going, from Fort Totten and to reservations in South Dakota They were friendly Indians and grateful for any gifts farmers would give them. This was before the town of Aneta was started and grain was hauled to Cooperstown, fording the river in a shallow place.
They had one son, Joseph Simpson Miller, who married Vivian Hamre in 1938. They still live on this homestead. They have three children
Joseph Hamre Miller, Bonairie Netherland, Antilles Island
Janice (Mrs. James Mills), Temple City, California
and William, farms the home place.
JAMES MILLER married Anne Carr. They homesteaded on SE quarter of Section 4, Lenora Township. They had five children. Later years moved to Aneta and operated a restaurant and bakery before moving to California.
GEORGE MILLER was born in 1872 in Illinois. He came to Lenora Township with his parents in the 1890's. He married Emma Omlid who was born in Norway in 1880 and had come to Aneta, North Dakota with her parents in 1883. They were married in 1903. They settled on the NW quarter of Section 10 and NE quarter of Section 11 in Lenora Township. They had six children:
Violet, deceased
Gordon, deceased
LeRoy, deceased
Clifford, McVille, North Dakota
Wilford, Bismarck, North Dakota and Laurence, Detroit Lakes, Minnesota George Miller died in 1923.
DAVID MILLER married Tina Brekke and they homesteaded on NW quarter of Section 14, Lenora Township. They had one son, Earl. They moved to Aneta in later years and owned the bakery.
ADAM MILLER stayed with his folks, the John Millers, where they homesteaded. After his father's death, Adam and his mother, Margaret, owned a grocery store in Aneta, North Dakota Adam was a painter and drummer.
Source: Griggs County History 1879 - 1976 Page 343