Jonas B. Miller, Amish Mennonite minister and leader, was born at Grantsville, MD on 10 December 1870, the oldest of the three sons and three daughters of Bishop Joel J. and Savilla (Beachy) Miller. He was the sixth generation of the Miller family, Amish pioneers, who settled in the Casselman River region in 1793. He was married to Barbara Swartzentruber on 5 October 1893. They raised a family of four sons and seven daughters on their small farm near Grantsville, among them Bishop Ivan J. Miller.

Jonas Miller was an avid reader and lover of books, and an able student, public speaker, and writer. He was a member of the Amish Mennonite Church and ordained to the ministry by his father on 30 May 1897, serving over 52 years. He was one of the original members of the Conservative Amish Mennonite Conference and one of its early influential leaders. He served as English editor of Herold der Wahrheit 1917-1949, when he was succeeded by his son Evan. In his preaching and writing he was a staunch advocate of conservatism in faith and practice. He died 20 September 1952 at Grantsville and was buried in the Maple Glen cemetery.

Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, and Waterloo, Ontario, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 3, p. 691. All rights reserved. For information on ordering the encyclopedia visit the Herald Press website.

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