January 1, 2011

We have an update on the testing for the Johann Michael Miller line.  That follows are the 4 lines of the people who descend from Johann Michael Miller.

Kit 50000

·       Participant

·       Everett Miller b 1898 in Elkhart Co., Indiana m Mayme Smoker

·       Ira Miller b 1859 in Elkhart Co., Indiana m Rebecca Rodibaugh

·       John David Miller b 1812 in Montgomery Co., Ohio m Margaret Lentz

·       David Miller b 1781 in Washington Co., Maryland married Catharina Schaeffer

·       Daniel Miller b 1755 married Elizabeth Ulrich

·       Philip Jacob Miller b 1726 and Magdalena (supposedly Rochette)

·       Johann Michael Miller

Kit 101045

·       Participant

·       John Valentine Miller b 1856 Iowa married Lulu Crain

·       David Miller born about 1819 in Montgomery County, Ohio  married Sarah Ann Kester

·       Isaac Miller b 1789 Montgomery Co, Ohio married Elizabeth Miller, his cousin, the daughter of David Miller and Magdalena Maugens

·       Daniel Miller b 1755 and Elizabeth Ulrich

·       Philip Jacob Miller b 1726 and Magdalena (supposedly Rochette)

·       Johann Michael Miller

Kit 174366

·       Participant

·       Benjamin Franklin Miller b 1856 in North English, Iowa and Maryu Fitzwater

·       Noah Miller b 1829 in Rockingham Co., Va. and Francis Lowe

·       Michael Miller b 1793 in Dauphin co., Pa. d 1839 in Virginia married Mary Sanger

·       Daniel Miller b 1752 Dauphin co., Pa d 1820 married Anne Garber

·       Lodowich Miller b about 1720 married Anna Barbara Meyer

·       Johann Michael Miller

Kit 147232

·       Participant

·       Clair Elroy Miller b 1899

·       Albert Wellington Miller b 1874

·       Michael Miller b 1839

·       Michael Miller b 1793 in Dauphin co., Pa. d 1839 in Virginia married Mary Sanger

·       Daniel Miller b 1752 Dauphin co., Pa d 1820 married Anne Garber

·       Lodowich Miller b about 1720 married Anna Barbara Meyer

·       Johann Michael Miller

4-1-09 Today we obtained results that confirmed the DNA signature of Johann Michael Miller (Mueller) 1692-1771 through descendants of his sons Johann Philip and Lodowick. His DNA signature can be see by looking at kits 101045 and 147232.

Miller Brethren Project Report
1-16-2009

When I started the Miller-Brethren project, I thought it would be easy. Our goal was to determine whether the Miller family of the Brethren faith were all descended from Johann Michael Miller or if there were multiple Miller lines.

Miller is such a prevalent name in the Brethren community, and it seems like everyone is related to one or several lines. The debate for years has raged (ok, sometimes is just simmers) about whether the various Miller lines in the Brethren faith are all descended from Johann Michael Miller, the original immigrant of at least some lines, who was born in 1692 in Steinwenden, Germany and died in 1771 in Washington County, Maryland. His wife was Susanna Berchtol.

They had several children who all proliferated. Sons attributed to Michael were Philip Jacob, Lodowich, John Peter, George, Jeremiah, John Washington and Michael. I have not confirmed the genealogy, and it is not without controversy, but suffice it to say that there are many many descendants. My line, through Philip Jacob seems to have produced tens of thousands alone. I have wives and children listed for the first three sons and between them they produced 14 sons and those sons produced several sons each. This line is not dead, just dormant it seems when it comes to DNA testing. Perhaps this is reflective of the reserved and untechnical lifestyle of the Brethren faith. Many of the families are still members or at least still live among families who are. It’s doubtful that many have computers and the only way they would DNA test is if a relative they knew asked them personally, and paid for the test as well.

The upshot of this is that the Brethren-Miller DNA project is not producing results.

To date, we have two individuals who should both be descended from Johann Michael Miller and they do not match each other. They descend from grandsons of Johann Michael Miller though son Philip Jacob. Either the genealogy is incorrect or there is an undocumented adoption in one of the lines.

In order to break the tie, so to speak, we need another descendant of this Miller line, preferably more than one descendant and from more than one of Johann Michael Miller’s sons’ lines.

As for the rest of the individuals in the project, no one matches anyone else within the project. Three are of confirmed Brethren ancestors, 2 of which are the Michael Miller line that doesn’t match, and some of them lived in the right place at the right time, meaning Ohio or Pennsylvania, but so far, no matches. In a nutshell, we have lots of people who want to see if they match the Johann Michael Miller line, but we still need descendants of Michael Miller to test.

I think what we have confirmed for sure is that there are a lot of variant Miller families, but we have yet to really answer the question of whether most or many of the Brethren Miller families are descended from Johann Michael Miller or if there are multiple lines.

If you are a Miller male and descend from these lines, please test. If you aren’t a Miller, but you have family who is, please consider sponsoring a test for a male Miller family member in order to resolve this question.

Thank you,

Roberta Estes