Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 5.djvu/385

 VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY

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standing in the community and the influ- ence he would give to a party ticket, has frequently, been urged to accept a nomina- tion for public office, never yielding to the importunities of his friends in this respect. Mr. Motley married, in Danville, Virginia, Sallie P. Farley, born in Danville, January 21, 1863, daughter of Kerr and Susan (^Cous- ins) Parley. Her father was a native of North Carolina, served in the Confederate army in the war between the states, losing one linger in battle, and died in 1891, aged fifty-five years. His wife now (191 5) lives in Danville, aged seventy-five years. Chil- dren of Mr. and Mrs. Motley: i. David Orion, born November i, 1885, died aged nineteen months. 2. Pearl Cousins, born October i, 1887, teacher, and lives at home, unmarried. 3. Ocris Benjamin, born De- cember 12, 1889, a clerk in the employ of his father, married Eva Osborne, of Danville, July 24, 1914. 4. Butra Lee, born August 18, 1892, a graduate of the Edith Coburn Noyes School of Expression and Culture, of Boston, JMassachusetts, an ex- pressionist teacher ; lives at home. 5. Avon Kerr. 6. Aubrey Abel. Both of the two previously mentioned died aged twenty months. 7. Watson Farley, born November 3, 1898, a student in Danville. 8. Sara Hope, born November 28, 1901. 9. Albert Edward, born January 16, 1906. 10. Harold Chapell, born Alarch 16, 190S. 11. Abel Irwin, born February 7, 1910.

Samuel Rolfe Millar. The Millar family is an old one in Virginia, and has given members to answer every call of patriotism or duty, Mr. Millar owning revolutionary descent through the service of his ancestors in that conflict. The Millar family settled near Front Royal in 1740, on land which Colonel Millar now owns. He is a grand- son of Isaac Millar and a son of Samuel Richardson Millar, his father born at Front Royal, Warren county, Virginia, May 31, 1817, died October 31, 1861. Samuel R. Millar was an attorney ; married Susan Ran- dolph, born in Cumberland county, Vir- ginia, September 2, 1821, died March 9, 1882, daughter of General Thomas Beverly Ran- dolph. Among the children of Samuel R. and Susan (Randolph) Millar was Samuel Rolfe. of whom further.

Samuel Rolfe Alillar was born in Front Royal, Warren county. Virginia, May 21, 1857, and there attended the public schools.

He afterward matriculated at Griswold Col- lege, Davenport, Iowa, and was there gradu- ated, journeying abroad, he there pursued advanced studies and in 1880 received a Ph. D. from the University of Heidelberg. His German residence and knowledge of the tongue and customs of that country were invaluable to him in his later incumbency of the consulship to Leipsic, Germany, an office to which he was appointed in 1886 by President Grover Cleveland, serving so until 1890. In the latter year he returned to the United States.

In his early life Mr. Millar became familiar with farm life, and at that time formed a liking for such pursuits that has never de- serted him, although for long extended periods he has found it impossible to gratify his desires in that direction. He is now the owner of much land in the vicinity of his home, and as far as his journalistic duties will permit, gives his farms his personal attention. It is in every way probable that the method Mr. Millar would prefer would be to don overalls and to follow the season through, from plowing time to harvest, fill- ing an active part in the cultivation of his lands, but duty decrees otherwise. He is lieutenant-colonel of the Second Virginia Regiment, National Guards, and is aide-de- camp of Governor Stuart ; is president of the FVont Royal Horse Show Association, and of the Front Royal Board of Trade, and president of the Warren Sentinel Publish- ing Company. He is a member of the Ma- sonic order, belonging to lodge, chapter, commandery and shrine, his lodge being Unity, No. 147, Free and Accepted Masons. His political allegiance is Democratic, and he is a vestryman of the Protestant Epis- copal chyrch.

Mr. Millar married, October 2, 1882, Ber- tha Riedel, born in Heidelberg, Germany, December 25, 1857, daughter of Jacob and Susanna (Krahm) Riedel. Children of Sam- uel Rolfe and Bertha (Riedel) Millar: Susan Bertha, born May I, 1884; Florence Millar, born in Leipsic, July 12, 1887; Samuel Rolfe, Jr., born in Leipsic, Germany, February 12, 1889, B. A. and B. L., Washington and Lee University; Bertha, born August 5, 1893. His daughters are members of the Daugh- ters of the American Revolution and Colo- nial Dames, securing membership through the services of their ancestors in the Indian and Revolutionary wars.