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- A brief biographical sketch of Nancy Foster Miller, wife of Garrett Miller, written by her son, the late Rev. W. W. Miller, and published also in the “Christian Guardian” has been preserved. She was born in the township of Sophiasburgh, Prince Edward County, AD 1796. Her early life was not biased in favour of Methodism: but she was awakened in a sense of her lost condition as a sinner, and led to seek an interest in the Redeemer’s blood under the preaching of the Rev. N. Reeder in the year 1816, while he was traveling the Smith’s Creek circuit, which according to Playter, extended from the border of Yonge Street on the west and included the Hallowell and Belleville country in the east. On this occasion he preached in her uncle S. Reed’s house, who lived a few miles up the river from Belleville, and according to previous announcement, directed his discourse particularly to the young people, many of whom were present, especially the relatives of Mr. Reed, as he had taken pains to have it widely circulated among them.
From this time she ever dated a new era in her life’s history. As she often expressed it, she then saw things in an entirely new light, and felt it to be of infinite importance to renounce the vain pomps and fashions of this world, and gave evidence of a willingness to become anything or nothing for her Saviour, whom she now delighted to adore and honor by declaring what great things he had done for her soul.
Very soon after her conversion, following her desire for Christian fellowship, she united with the people called Methodists, with whom through the many subsequent trials of the church, and vicissitudes of life, she remained a firm and consistent member until death: and although she was, if not the first of her father’s family, yet nearly so, who made an open profession of religion, she had the satisfaction in after life of seeing them all, or nearly all, with her bearing the name of Methodist.
In the year 1821 she was united in marriage to Garrett Miller, who was also a member of the same church. Of her attachment to the cause of God in general, and to the interests of Methodism in particular, much might be said. More than glad was she to have the weary itinerant to make her house a place of rest and refreshment. In all the institutions of the church she took a deep interest. Preaching the Word, prayer and class meetings, the love feast and sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, were to her seasons of refreshing. In domestic life, the reading of the Word, the family altar, and private prayer, were occasionally valued – not suffering the one to be neglected because of the absence of her husband, nor the other by the press of business; the one being sustained during the 5 _ years of her widowhood; of the other it might be said that three times a day might her voice be heard praying and calling on the name of the Lord.
Her last religious act, so far as known by her attendants was that of reading in the Bible after which she said, “This too, soon must end.” She could now scarcely distinguish the lines, becoming unconscious shortly afterwards, she lingered but forty-eight hours when her happy spirit took it’s flight to that land of which it is said death shall never enter. Thus closed the life of one, who, although she had no legacy of gold or silver to bequeath to the church at her demise, yet always delighted to give of her substance to God’s cause during the fifty-two years in which she recognized His claim on all she possessed, giving, undoubtedly, during that time, hundreds of dollars to the church, and leaving behind her the example of a devoted life, the savor of a good name, and a godly influence to tell on generations yet to come.
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