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Miller Bean Funeral Home, Inc. Paul C. Buttner FD, Supervisor Robert J. Miller Bean, President Valerie M. Miller Bean FD, Vice President
Our History The following write up was left in our mailbox almost thirty years ago. It was typewritten and I believe left by someone from one of the local newspapers. I do not know his name, it had been on the outside of the envelope, which is long gone. Along with it was a note written to Edward S. Miller Bean, asking us to check it for accuracy and that he would pay us a call back to pick it up. I believe that it was meant to be run in one of the newspapers but I have no recollection of ever seeing it again and don't know if it ever was run in the newspaper. I changed nothing in it except for obvious spelling and punctuation errors. I think that most of the content came from Volume 2 of History Of Scranton And Its People, by Colonel Henry L. Hitchcock, Attorney at Law. I myself have Volumes one and two, I have no idea if there were more published afterwards. These books contain several inaccuracies regarding Miller Bean and others as well. I think that is why this person had written this and was to have it published in the news paper, I had later found out that the person was a friend of my uncle's. The only one left who really knew the story behind it was my uncle, Edward S. Miller Bean, and it is now too late to ask him about any of it. One of the oldest continuously operated undertaking firms in Scranton, Pa. is the Miller Bean Funeral Home, 434,436 Cedar Ave. It has the unique distinction of being operated by the fourth generation members of the same family. The firm was founded by Michael Miller who was born in Lautenzenhausen, Rhine Province, Germany in 1831 son of Col. Michael and Margaretta Miller. His father was a Colonel in the German Army and a hotelkeeper. Young Michael was educated in Germany and then emigrate to the United States in 1851 at the age of 20; coming over on a sailing vessel on a voyage which lasted 49 days. He landed at Philadelphia and came directly to Scranton, Penna. For the first 13 years he worked in the Rolling mills of the Lackawanna Iron and Coal Co. as an iron roller and operated a store and livery service where the Lackawanna courthouse is now located. Then in 1857 he opened a grocery store on Orchard Street and continued in business there until 1863 when he purchased a large house on the corner of Cedar Ave and Hickory Street where he continued in the grocery and livery business for several years. The move was needed because the swamp like grounds at the courthouse location was not good for the livestock. Eventually he branched out Undertaking business with his son Gustav A. Miller. The Undertaking firm which they established in the 1860's is still in operation on the same site. He married in 1852 to Maria Fickinger, also a native of Rhine Province, Germany and they were the parents of three children: Gustave Adolphus; Mary who never married and Louisa who married Stephen Spruks of Scranton. He was a Republican in politics and a member of the Hickory Street Presbyterian Church. He died in 1904 and was succeeded in the business by his son: Gustav A. Miller who was born in Scranton in 1861 and died in 1915. He went to New York City to learn the embalming trade and was the first licensed embalmer in Lackawanna County. He was engaged in the funeral business for 30 years and at the time of his death was one of the oldest and best known undertakers in Scranton. He was one of the organizers of the Lackawanna Liverymen and Undertakers Association; also a member of Union Lodge, the IOOF, POS of A and the Hickory Street Presbyterian Church. He married Clara Bodenstine 1870-1953, a native of Philadelphia and they were the parents of two daughters. After the death of her husband, she continued to operate the family business until her death in 1953.Their daughters were: Mary Louise Miller born 1896 died 1979 married Carl J. Bean and Madeline Spruks Miller who married Chester Armbrust of Scranton. Carl J. Bean was born in Scranton 1894, married Mary L. Miller and together they continued to operate the Miller-Bean Funeral Home at 434 Cedar Ave. for many years. He died in 1964 and she lived until 1979. Their two sons continue to operate the same firm. They are Edward S. Miller Bean born 1921, licensed in 1943 and Carlton J. Bean born 1931 and licensed in 1953. For many years funerals were always held from the family homes but since the 1930' s they began to be held in funeral homes. The Miller-Bean Funeral Home is today one of the largest and by far the finest in the City of Scranton, being operated by the fourth generation members of the same family. To see scans of the actual pages click <here> The actual pages contain much more interesting little tidbits of information. The dates, some places and spellings that I knew were incorrect, due to our own records, I was able to correct. But other interesting things such as the fact that Michael Miller made the trip from Germany to the United States twice, first to gain employment, settle in and secondly to bring the rest of the family, it states in the book that both ships that he traveled to the USA from Germany on sank afterwards. One after leaving port from the USA and the other at the docks. Just interesting. I have found lots of interesting little things over the years but unless they are confirmed by our records by my ancestors it is hard to tell what might and might not be accurate. Had I no other sources and proof I would have believed the words from the History Of Scranton And Its People to be the truth and correct. I just hope someone enjoys these writings and articles as much as I do putting them together. |
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