This is the summary of one man, two different sir names and two different families. Fred Middlebrook Merten was born Frederick (Fred) Middlebrook Miller on 2/02/1868 in North Adams, Massachusetts to the parents of Theophilus Gottlieb Rudolph Mueller (Americanized to Miller) born 8/22/1837 in Unterkulm, Aargau, Switzerland and Mary Elizabeth Middlebrook born 7/02/1842 in Worthington, Hampshire, Massachusetts.
The family lived in Pownal, Vermont in the 1860’s and part 1870’s. Pownal was right across the state border from Williamstown, Massachusetts, (and North Adams) where Fred’s parents Theophilus and Mary were married on 12/25/1860. By 1878, the Miller family had moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Fred was the third child. The first child was Elmer Ellsworth Miller, born 11/20/1861 in North Adams, MA. Second child, Grace Elizabeth Miller , born 4/19/1866 in Nauvoo, IL. The forth Child, Inez Laflin Miller, born 3/30/1874 in Mountain View, Passaic, New Jersey.
1870 U.S. Census shows Theophilus R. Miller, a book-keeper age 33 from Switzerland lived in Pownal, Vermont with Mary age 28 (born in Mass.), Elmer age 8 born in Mass., Grace age 4 born in Nauvoo, IL, Fred age 2 born in Mass.
1880 U.S. Census shows Theophilus R. Miller lived in Milwaukee with wife Mary and children Elmer, Grace, Fred and Inez.
On Sep 25, 1886, Frederick M. Miller married Laura P. Brown in Calumet Harbor, Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin. The marriage record stated he was born in North Adams, Mass. and father’s name Theodor R. Miller and mother’s name Mary E. Middlebrook.
Fred and Laura had four daughters in Milwaukee. Sadie Middlebrook Miller born 10/12/1887, who married Leonard Henry Gooding. Hazel Inez Miller born 5/16/1890, who married William Treweek Bennett. Althea Isabella Miller born 10/28/1892, who married John Henry Robinson. The forth daughter was Marion E. Miller born 10/24/1894.
The 1900 U.S. Census shows Fred Miller living in Milwaukee as a Life Insurance Agent, with wife Laura and their four daughters.
Sometime after the 1900 U.S. Census, Fred M. Miller disappears. He left his family and changed his name from Miller to Merten. There are several speculations on why this happened, but there is no proof. In all subsequent census records, showed Laura as married, until the 1915 Wisconsin census, where she is listed as widowed.
By 1903, records show a new person, by the name of Fred M. Merten shows up in St. Louis, MO “married” (no marriage record has ever been found) to Mary Virginia Marx of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. They have always claimed that they were married on Jan. 23, of 1901 or 1902.
Fred and Mary had four children. Elsie Lorene Merten born 12/21/1902 in St. Louis who married Chester Paul Smith and then George Elbert Day. Chester Everett Merten born 3/10/1906 in Davenport, IA who married Dorothy Haines and then Della Harriett Barkalow. Frances Arthur Merten born 1/14/1908 in Davenport, IA who married Kathryn Blanche McCabe and then Cecil Spring. And my Grandfather, Merritt Melvin Merten born 9/24/1909 in Davenport, IA who married Annette Bertha Fabricius.
Even with a shadowy past, Fred became the Mayor of Rockingham Township in Iowa, prior to its merger with Davenport, IA. He was also the Superintendent of Schools.
After over 50 years of research, handwriting analysis and DNA proof, Fred Middlebrook Miller is Fred Middlebrook Merten. He had two sir names, two wives and eight Children. Fred did admit to his second family that there was a “first” family in Milwaukee, but he refused to provide much detail. Over time, vague clues where given about his siblings and past, which provided the foundation for the decades long search for the truth.
Please feel free to contact me at [email protected] if you would like to discuss or have additional details.
The family lived in Pownal, Vermont in the 1860’s and part 1870’s. Pownal was right across the state border from Williamstown, Massachusetts, (and North Adams) where Fred’s parents Theophilus and Mary were married on 12/25/1860. By 1878, the Miller family had moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Fred was the third child. The first child was Elmer Ellsworth Miller, born 11/20/1861 in North Adams, MA. Second child, Grace Elizabeth Miller , born 4/19/1866 in Nauvoo, IL. The forth Child, Inez Laflin Miller, born 3/30/1874 in Mountain View, Passaic, New Jersey.
1870 U.S. Census shows Theophilus R. Miller, a book-keeper age 33 from Switzerland lived in Pownal, Vermont with Mary age 28 (born in Mass.), Elmer age 8 born in Mass., Grace age 4 born in Nauvoo, IL, Fred age 2 born in Mass.
1880 U.S. Census shows Theophilus R. Miller lived in Milwaukee with wife Mary and children Elmer, Grace, Fred and Inez.
On Sep 25, 1886, Frederick M. Miller married Laura P. Brown in Calumet Harbor, Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin. The marriage record stated he was born in North Adams, Mass. and father’s name Theodor R. Miller and mother’s name Mary E. Middlebrook.
Fred and Laura had four daughters in Milwaukee. Sadie Middlebrook Miller born 10/12/1887, who married Leonard Henry Gooding. Hazel Inez Miller born 5/16/1890, who married William Treweek Bennett. Althea Isabella Miller born 10/28/1892, who married John Henry Robinson. The forth daughter was Marion E. Miller born 10/24/1894.
The 1900 U.S. Census shows Fred Miller living in Milwaukee as a Life Insurance Agent, with wife Laura and their four daughters.
Sometime after the 1900 U.S. Census, Fred M. Miller disappears. He left his family and changed his name from Miller to Merten. There are several speculations on why this happened, but there is no proof. In all subsequent census records, showed Laura as married, until the 1915 Wisconsin census, where she is listed as widowed.
By 1903, records show a new person, by the name of Fred M. Merten shows up in St. Louis, MO “married” (no marriage record has ever been found) to Mary Virginia Marx of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. They have always claimed that they were married on Jan. 23, of 1901 or 1902.
Fred and Mary had four children. Elsie Lorene Merten born 12/21/1902 in St. Louis who married Chester Paul Smith and then George Elbert Day. Chester Everett Merten born 3/10/1906 in Davenport, IA who married Dorothy Haines and then Della Harriett Barkalow. Frances Arthur Merten born 1/14/1908 in Davenport, IA who married Kathryn Blanche McCabe and then Cecil Spring. And my Grandfather, Merritt Melvin Merten born 9/24/1909 in Davenport, IA who married Annette Bertha Fabricius.
Even with a shadowy past, Fred became the Mayor of Rockingham Township in Iowa, prior to its merger with Davenport, IA. He was also the Superintendent of Schools.
After over 50 years of research, handwriting analysis and DNA proof, Fred Middlebrook Miller is Fred Middlebrook Merten. He had two sir names, two wives and eight Children. Fred did admit to his second family that there was a “first” family in Milwaukee, but he refused to provide much detail. Over time, vague clues where given about his siblings and past, which provided the foundation for the decades long search for the truth.
Please feel free to contact me at [email protected] if you would like to discuss or have additional details.
This is the summary of one man, two different sir names and two different families. Fred Middlebrook Merten was born Frederick (Fred) Middlebrook Miller on 2/02/1868 in North Adams, Massachusetts to the parents of Theophilus Gottlieb Rudolph Mueller (Americanized to Miller) born 8/22/1837 in Unterkulm, Aargau, Switzerland and Mary Elizabeth Middlebrook born 7/02/1842 in Worthington, Hampshire, Massachusetts.
The family lived in Pownal, Vermont in the 1860’s and part 1870’s. Pownal was right across the state border from Williamstown, Massachusetts, (and North Adams) where Fred’s parents Theophilus and Mary were married on 12/25/1860. By 1878, the Miller family had moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Fred was the third child. The first child was Elmer Ellsworth Miller, born 11/20/1861 in North Adams, MA. Second child, Grace Elizabeth Miller , born 4/19/1866 in Nauvoo, IL. The forth Child, Inez Laflin Miller, born 3/30/1874 in Mountain View, Passaic, New Jersey.
1870 U.S. Census shows Theophilus R. Miller, a book-keeper age 33 from Switzerland lived in Pownal, Vermont with Mary age 28 (born in Mass.), Elmer age 8 born in Mass., Grace age 4 born in Nauvoo, IL, Fred age 2 born in Mass.
1880 U.S. Census shows Theophilus R. Miller lived in Milwaukee with wife Mary and children Elmer, Grace, Fred and Inez.
On Sep 25, 1886, Frederick M. Miller married Laura P. Brown in Calumet Harbor, Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin. The marriage record stated he was born in North Adams, Mass. and father’s name Theodor R. Miller and mother’s name Mary E. Middlebrook.
Fred and Laura had four daughters in Milwaukee. Sadie Middlebrook Miller born 10/12/1887, who married Leonard Henry Gooding. Hazel Inez Miller born 5/16/1890, who married William Treweek Bennett. Althea Isabella Miller born 10/28/1892, who married John Henry Robinson. The forth daughter was Marion E. Miller born 10/24/1894.
The 1900 U.S. Census shows Fred Miller living in Milwaukee as a Life Insurance Agent, with wife Laura and their four daughters.
Sometime after the 1900 U.S. Census, Fred M. Miller disappears. He left his family and changed his name from Miller to Merten. There are several speculations on why this happened, but there is no proof. In all subsequent census records, showed Laura as married, until the 1915 Wisconsin census, where she is listed as widowed.
By 1903, records show a new person, by the name of Fred M. Merten shows up in St. Louis, MO “married” (no marriage record has ever been found) to Mary Virginia Marx of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. They have always claimed that they were married on Jan. 23, of 1901 or 1902.
Fred and Mary had four children. Elsie Lorene Merten born 12/21/1902 in St. Louis who married Chester Paul Smith and then George Elbert Day. Chester Everett Merten born 3/10/1906 in Davenport, IA who married Dorothy Haines and then Della Harriett Barkalow. Frances Arthur Merten born 1/14/1908 in Davenport, IA who married Kathryn Blanche McCabe and then Cecil Spring. And my Grandfather, Merritt Melvin Merten born 9/24/1909 in Davenport, IA who married Annette Bertha Fabricius.
Even with a shadowy past, Fred became the Mayor of Rockingham Township in Iowa, prior to its merger with Davenport, IA. He was also the Superintendent of Schools.
After over 50 years of research, handwriting analysis and DNA proof, Fred Middlebrook Miller is Fred Middlebrook Merten. He had two sir names, two wives and eight Children. Fred did admit to his second family that there was a “first” family in Milwaukee, but he refused to provide much detail. Over time, vague clues where given about his siblings and past, which provided the foundation for the decades long search for the truth.
Please feel free to contact me at [email protected] if you would like to discuss or have additional details.
The family lived in Pownal, Vermont in the 1860’s and part 1870’s. Pownal was right across the state border from Williamstown, Massachusetts, (and North Adams) where Fred’s parents Theophilus and Mary were married on 12/25/1860. By 1878, the Miller family had moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Fred was the third child. The first child was Elmer Ellsworth Miller, born 11/20/1861 in North Adams, MA. Second child, Grace Elizabeth Miller , born 4/19/1866 in Nauvoo, IL. The forth Child, Inez Laflin Miller, born 3/30/1874 in Mountain View, Passaic, New Jersey.
1870 U.S. Census shows Theophilus R. Miller, a book-keeper age 33 from Switzerland lived in Pownal, Vermont with Mary age 28 (born in Mass.), Elmer age 8 born in Mass., Grace age 4 born in Nauvoo, IL, Fred age 2 born in Mass.
1880 U.S. Census shows Theophilus R. Miller lived in Milwaukee with wife Mary and children Elmer, Grace, Fred and Inez.
On Sep 25, 1886, Frederick M. Miller married Laura P. Brown in Calumet Harbor, Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin. The marriage record stated he was born in North Adams, Mass. and father’s name Theodor R. Miller and mother’s name Mary E. Middlebrook.
Fred and Laura had four daughters in Milwaukee. Sadie Middlebrook Miller born 10/12/1887, who married Leonard Henry Gooding. Hazel Inez Miller born 5/16/1890, who married William Treweek Bennett. Althea Isabella Miller born 10/28/1892, who married John Henry Robinson. The forth daughter was Marion E. Miller born 10/24/1894.
The 1900 U.S. Census shows Fred Miller living in Milwaukee as a Life Insurance Agent, with wife Laura and their four daughters.
Sometime after the 1900 U.S. Census, Fred M. Miller disappears. He left his family and changed his name from Miller to Merten. There are several speculations on why this happened, but there is no proof. In all subsequent census records, showed Laura as married, until the 1915 Wisconsin census, where she is listed as widowed.
By 1903, records show a new person, by the name of Fred M. Merten shows up in St. Louis, MO “married” (no marriage record has ever been found) to Mary Virginia Marx of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. They have always claimed that they were married on Jan. 23, of 1901 or 1902.
Fred and Mary had four children. Elsie Lorene Merten born 12/21/1902 in St. Louis who married Chester Paul Smith and then George Elbert Day. Chester Everett Merten born 3/10/1906 in Davenport, IA who married Dorothy Haines and then Della Harriett Barkalow. Frances Arthur Merten born 1/14/1908 in Davenport, IA who married Kathryn Blanche McCabe and then Cecil Spring. And my Grandfather, Merritt Melvin Merten born 9/24/1909 in Davenport, IA who married Annette Bertha Fabricius.
Even with a shadowy past, Fred became the Mayor of Rockingham Township in Iowa, prior to its merger with Davenport, IA. He was also the Superintendent of Schools.
After over 50 years of research, handwriting analysis and DNA proof, Fred Middlebrook Miller is Fred Middlebrook Merten. He had two sir names, two wives and eight Children. Fred did admit to his second family that there was a “first” family in Milwaukee, but he refused to provide much detail. Over time, vague clues where given about his siblings and past, which provided the foundation for the decades long search for the truth.
Please feel free to contact me at [email protected] if you would like to discuss or have additional details.
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