Person:Hannah McBRIDE (1)

Hannah Arvilla McBRIDE, the third child of George and Malinda McBride, was born January 30, 1879, in Rock Island. She lived with her parents until her marriage to Frank Earl MILLER in 1900. Rock Island City Directories have this information for Hannah: 1897: domestic; living with parents at 605-12th St. 1899: no occupation; living as above; same house The minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Portland Township, Whiteside Co., IL, married Hannah and Frank in 1900. Hannah lived in Whiteside County in Erie until she was hospitalized in Geneseo, Henry Co., just prior to her death in 1935. Witnesses to their marriage were his and her fathers. This couple had nine children, but the male twin to Harold was apparently stillborn, and their third child, Clarence Earle, lived only two months. Most of the Miller children had to get Delayed Records of Birth, because they were born at home with the help of a midwife and no record was made at the time of their birth. Russel McBride and Estelle Gruhn MIller, wife of Albert Miller, and told me that Frank abandoned his family in 1923 for unknown reasons and left Hannah with five children to raise. Hannah worked as a housekeeper, scrubbed floors, etc. to feed and clothe her kids. Hannah had great difficulty caring for her children. In the 1930 census Hannah is listed as the head of family, owned her home, lived in Erie with five kids, her mother, her brother George Francis, and foster-child Charles Buddy Krause age 10, born in Iowa. Hannah worked until six months before her death on January 28, 1935, at the age of 55. She died in the Hammond Hospital in Geneso, IL, from chronic myocarditis with mitral disease and with a contribution of bilateral hydrothorax ascites; the informant on her death certificate was E. F. Miller (sic) of Erie, IL. Probably the informant was Edward R. Miller, a son, and the middle initial is a typo on the death certificate transcript. Edward reported that Hannah was married at the time of her death, but Frank had remarried some years before this time. I have not found a divorce record of Hannah and Frank. According to Larry Wendell, Hannah was a Methodist. She is buried in Erie, IL, where she lived most of her life.

Frank Earl MILLER was born in 1874 in Donegal, Ireland, and came to the USA with his parents in 1873 when he was two years old. He was the son of George Miller and Catherine “Kate” Colgan/Colban. In 1900 his parents lived in Erie with two children (Emma, Andrew), granddaughter Irma Miller (age 3), nephew Robert Miller (age 39, born in Canada), and a widowed 90-year-old boarder, Hannah Crane, who was also born in Ireland. George arrived in the USA in 1873, was naturalized, and worked as a day laborer. George and Kate had seven children, but only five were alive in 1900. In 1900 George and Kate lived in Erie. At the time of Frank’s marriage to Hannah, he was a farmer living in Erie, IL. How he met Hannah, who lived in Rock Island, is unknown. Frank served in the Spanish-American War in the Army as a Private in company I, 6th Illinois Infantry. He enrolled April 26, 1898, in Morrison, IL, and was mustered in on May 11 in Springfield, IL. Both Prophetstown and Erie were given as his place of residence. He was “mustered in with the company; in the settlement of clothing is included the sum of $1.88, the total value of articles issued him by the State; furloughed for 60 days beginning Sept. 22, 1898, per G.O. 130, A.G.O., C.S.” He was mustered out on November 5, 1898, in Springfield, IL.

“HISTORY OF THE SIXTH REGIMENT INFANTRY-ILLINOIS VOLUNTEERS The Sixth Illinois Volunteers Infantry was ordered to Springfield, Illinois, April 26, 1898, and mustered in the service for two years May 11, 1898. Left Springfield, Illinois, May 17, 1898, by rail to Camp Russell A. Alger, Va., arriving May 20, 1898. Remained until July 5, 1898, when Regiment left by rail for Charleston, S.C., arriving July 6, 1898. Companies E, F, and I embarked on board U.S.S. Columbia, Company A embarked on board U.S.S. Yale July 8, 1898, for Cuba, arriving at Santiago July 13, 1898. Companies B, C, G, H, K, and I, embarked on board U.S.S. Rita July 16, 1989, arriving at Santiago July 15, 1898. Companies D. and M. embarked on board transport No. 21 July 21, 1898, arriving at Once, Porto Rico, July27, 1898. The troops did not disembark at Cuba, [the text is garbled here, but I copied this verbatim] at Sibony July 16, 1898. Guantanamo Bay July 18th and 20th, at Baigniri July 20, 1898, returned to Guantanamo Bay July 21, 1898. Sailed from Guantanamo Bay July 21, 1898, for Porto Rico, arriving in Guanica, P.R., July 25, 1898. In Camp at Guanica until July 30, 1898. Company G in action July 26, 1898, four miles from Guanica. The Regiment walked from Guanica to Youco July 30, 1898. Marched from Youco to Tallaboia July 31, 1898. Marched from Tallaboia to Ponce Aug. 1, 1898. In camp at Ponce until Aug. 3, 1898, when Regiment marched to Guaragnos. Left Guaragnos and marched four miles over the mountain Aug. 10, 1909. Advanced to Adjuntas Aug. 11. In Camp at Adjuntas until Aug. 16, 1898, when Regiment marched to Utnado. In camp at Utnado until Aug. 26th, when Regiment returned to Adjuntas. Left Adjuntas Aug. 28, 1898, and marched to Ponce. In camp at Ponce until Sept. 7, 1898, when the Regiment embarked on board U.S.S. Manitoba at Port Ponce. Arrived at Weehawken, N.J., Sept. 13, 1898. Left Weehawken by rail for Springfield, Ill., arriving at the latter place Sept. 16, 1898. In camp at Springfield, Ill., until Sept. 22, 1898, when the various Companies left by rail for their respective home stations under G.O. No. 130 A.G.O. The Regiment was mustered out at Springfield, Ill., Nov. 25, 1898.”

The St Louis Office of Veterans Affairs cannot find Frank’s complete file and they suspect that it was destroyed in a fire in July 1973. Information from birth records of his children shows these jobs and dates: 1902: farmer 1904: laborer 1906: teamster 1911: drayman The 1930 census shows that Frank was an inmate in the US Soldiers and Sailors Home in Riverside, Adams Co., IL, building 4-15; age 55; that he could read and write; was born in Northern Ireland; and immigrated in 1876. Frank left the home and moved to nearby Quincy, where he lived several years at 630 Spring Street until his fatal illness in 1946. He returned to the Soldiers and Sailors Home for medical treatment, but died nine days later on 25 May 1946, of chronic myocarditis of 10 days and arteriosclerosis of two years. He was 71 years old. He is buried in Sunset Cemetery, Riverside, Adams Co., IL. His death certificate, for whom the informant was Gladys Bowen, indicates that his second wife, Lula “Luz” Miller, was still living. Presumably Frank divorced Hannah before marrying Luz (maiden name unknown), but no divorce record has been found and Edward Miller, the informant on Hannah’s death certificate, stated that Lula was married at the time of Frank’s death. John MILLER, the son of Walter Merle Miller, one of Hannah’s sons, reports “for whatever reason Dad seemed quite devoted to his stepmother, Lula, but he seldom, if ever, spoke of his father. Dad would have been about 22 when Hannah died, so its not clear whether his lifelong contact with Lula sprang from civility, sympathy or simply her being the closest thing that his son had to a paternal grandparent. I have no recollection of Frank’s death in 1948, although I remember other events in that time frame quite well.” Estelle Gruhn Miller, wife of Abby Miller, another of Hannah’s sons, says that her husband also did not speak of his father, so family members knew little about him. It is clear that Frank’s children did not recover from the trauma of being abandoned by him., , , , , ,

1. ↑ Vital record of RI County Clerk; Birth number 176-3.
2. ↑ ^2.0 2.1 Henry County Death Index, 28 Jan 1935, Book 1935..
3.   Illinois Dept. Public Health State File number 206112 = delayed birth record of Albert Ray Miller; 1930 census.
4.   1930 census; dwelling 231, family 233, ED 7, enumerated April 10, 1930, Erie, Whiteside Co., IL..
5.   1900 census: lines 24-30; ED 142, sheet 48, roll 352, page 46..
6.   Elliott, Isaac, H. (1902) Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Illinois, vol. 9; Record of the Servi.
7.   Death Certificate number 17627 for Frank Miller, Quincy, Riverside Twp., Adams County, Registered number 25; R.