Obituary--Peter M. Miller

This is the last of the "Prominent County Residents" whose obituaries were profiled in what Sandy and I call the Black Camel of Death issue of the Fremont Times Indicator--16 February 1922. The headline proclaimed: Death Takes Heavy Toll of Life, Prominent County Residents Die. A heavily bordered box between the obituary of Mr Miller and the "popular under-sheriff" Thomas Ish read as follows. The Black Camel of Death has knelt at the gates of prominent and much loved Newaygo county folk during the last week, signifying a toll somewhat unparalleled. A Newaygo county physician said Sunday: "In the 38 years of my practice in this community, I have never know so many sudden deaths as have occurred during the past year." Despite the vigorous and comparatively even temperatured winter, there is much sickness. Physicians magazines are quite agreed that the "colds" this winter are especially apt to effect the stomach and bowels of the efflicted, causing general weakness. In the old, this is always dangerous. In the cities, especially in New York city, there are many fatalities from pneumonia and recurrent "Flu". Local deaths for the week are: Thomas Deroy Iss, Peter M. Miller, Mrs Lucinda Tibbetts, John Merrill. Here is the last of those visited that week by the Black Camel.

PETER M. MILLER LEAVES THIS LIFE
ENDS COMES SUDDENLY AS HE STOKES FIRE OF FURNACE IN BASEMENT
Peter M. Miller, prominent Newaygo county farmer and popular friend of many, died Sunday, February 12, at his home in Brookside.
Mr. Miller had been receiving medical attention for a considerable period, recently returning from Grand Rapids where he had been undergoing treatment. Though not confined to his bed he still suffered. Sunday he went into the basement to fix the furnace fire. there he was found by a member of the family shortly afterward. Death had taken him quickly and painlessly.
Peter Miller was born August 11, 1861, hear Stockholm, Sweden. He came to this country with his parents when about three years old and lived in Illinois. He then moved to Muskegon where he lived until the fall of 1877 when they moved to the farm on which he spent the remainder of his life.
On December 25, 1883, he was united in marriage with Fannie Erminnie Palmer and to this union were born six children, four sons and two daughters, all whome survive him, Leon A. and Milo A. of Lansing, Mrs M. H. Beisel of Grand Rapids, Orla, Glen and Mrs Cecil Hollowell at home. Besides the wife and children he also leaves two brothers, Charles A of Windsor, Calif., and Otto A. of Detroit, Mich., and Mrs G. A. Johnson, Miss Emily Miller of Chicago Heights, and Hylma of Chicago.
The funeral was held Wednesday afternoon in the Methodist church, interment in Maple Grove cemetery.

Even though this area was heavily populated with families who are from the Netherlands, as this shows we do have a healthy dose of other nationalities as well.