Welcome to the Miller Cook Family Stories. It is a series of Early American biographies of my wife's ancestors. 

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Unlike my family, which came to America in the mid-19th century and the early 20th century, most of Dawn’s family was here by 1700.  All her mom’s ancestors came through New England except for her Scots-Irish Blairs.  Almost all were English, with a tiny sprinkling of Scots- Irish, Welsh, French, and Swiss that slipped into her lineage.  Often, they were among the first settlers in many small towns.  Most were farmers and when things got too crowded, they moved to the frontier.  By crowded, Dawn’s dad said it best.  “If your neighbor could hear you yell for your kids, you were living too close and needed to move on.”  

 

On the other side of the family, it was thought that Dawn’s dad was primarily German.  That was a valid assumption since the Miller family had changed their name in the late 1700s from Mueller.  They lived in a very German Pennsylvania.  But research revealed that her dad’s family was in America earlier than her mom’s.  I am sure that Dawn’s mom would have wanted me to keep this under wrap if she were still alive.  His ancestor was William Bassett, who came to America on the Fortune, the second boat after the Mayflower.  They were here to greet her Dawn's mom’s family.  As it turns out, he was only half German, with the other half mostly coming from England, Holland, and France.  

Dawn’s family has many rich stories that reflect the very fabric of America’s foundation.  This series aims to tell those stories and connect the family to their heritage.  Most biographies should make the family proud; however, some may make the family blush (if possible); and a few may make the family angry or weep.  But collectively, these ancestors make up their complex family heritage.

 

My search for my own family stories helped me understand more about myself.  Hopefully, these stories will help to reveal to the family a little bit about themselves too.  Many of our attitudes, thoughts, and beliefs come from those who have come before us.  They shaped our lives much more than we may realize.  If one thinks about how much our parents influenced us (for better or for worse), they were, in turn, shaped by their parents and grandparents and so on.   

 

Since 2014, I have written one biography with a few gaps.  The stories will be limited to just Dawn’s ancestors.  Some will be from the Cook side, others from the Miller side.  Some discuss events of history that her ancestors were involved in or influenced by.  

 

So I hope that you enjoy the stories. Click below to access those biographies.