Trying to Find a Miller Crossing the Pond

I have decided to revist my Millers and my attempts to find them in United States passenger lists. Earlier serious attempts were done years ago when I had less information on the family and only knew the Heipke Mueller immigrated in the mid-to-late 1850s. Now I have the name of her sister (Anke) and also know that her parents (Heinrich and Catherine)  immigrated and my search for passenger list information should be enhanced with those additional clues.

Heipke married Bernard Dirks in December of 1856 in Adams County, Illinois and her sister Anke married Heinrich Adams in February of 1857. Until I wrote this blog post, I had not realized just how close timewise the sisters had gotten married. Stories passed down in Heipke's family did not mention any siblings or parents having immigrated and implied that she arrived in the United States by herself.

1860 U. S. Census, Brown County, Illinois, Pea Ridge Township, age 89 (upper right), dwelling 1622, family 1560, H. F. Adams Household; digital image; Ancestry.com, citing National Archives microfilm M653, 157, 2 March 2013

But her parents and sister did immigrate. This 1860 census entry contains a reference to 61-year old Henry Miller and his 60-year wife, Mrs. C. Miller. Henry is listed as a tailor and both Millers are living with H. F. Adams, a Brown County, Illinois, farmer. What is not stated is that H. F. is the son-in-law of the Millers.

My searches of passenger lists for the family will focus on the parents at this juncture. I am hoping that they actually emigrated from Germany together. The names of Heipke and Anke frequently get spelled and transcribed incorrectly. That is less likely to happen with Henry/Heinrich and Catherine.

And of course, the last name can be Muller (with or without the umlaut), Mueller, or Miller.

Stay tuned...