MILLS FAMILY

  Christopher Mills (ggggrandfather: 1813-1880 ?)
Catherine (Ricker) Mills (ggggrandmother: 1815-1880 ?)

William Mills (gggrandfather: 1842-July 26, 1903)
Mary Jane (Ricker) Mills (gggrandmother: July 12, 1850-Feb. 1908)

William D. Mills (ggrandfather: Nov. 9, 1872-Aug. 28, 1925)
Sarah Frances (Harper) Mills (ggrandmother: Sept. 17, 1875-Aug. 11, 1957)

The Mills family line probably came from North Carolina since Tennessee was once part of North Carolina.  Our Mills family settled in Greene County, Tennessee, in the early 1800's.  The earliest Mills documented was Christopher Mills (born 1813 in Tennessee).  Christopher Mills married Catherine Ricker (born 1815, Tennessee) June 8, 1834 in Greene County, Tennessee and had nine children according to the 1850 and 1860 Census records: Jacob A. Mills (1836, TN), Samuel E. Mills (1838, TN), William L. Mills (1843, TN), John Franklin Mills (1845, TN), Daniel Mills (1846, TN), Sarah N. Mills (1849, TN), Margaret Mills (181, TN), Joseph Mills (1853, TN) and Wy-ly Mills (1856, TN).'

Christopher Mills is listed in the 1850, 1860 and 1870 census as still living in Greene County, Tennessee.  In the 1880 census he is not listed.

William L. Mills was born January 1843 in Greene County, Tennessee.  William Mills married Mary Jane Ricker (born July 12, 1850) September 9, 1866 in Greene County, Tennessee.  Mary Jane Ricker's parents were David Ricker and Almiria Miers (married January 27, 1850) from Greene County, Tennessee.   William and Mary Jane Mills had thirteen children according to the census and court records: Andrew Thomas Mills (born 1867, TN; died around 1897), John Franklin Mills (born Jan. 7, 1869, TN; died May 21, 1928), William David Mills (born Nov. 9, 1872, TN; died Aug. 28, 1925), Mary Alice Mills (born 1873, TN), Christopher Mills (born 1876, TN), Joseph F. Mills (born Aug. 1878, TN), James M. Mills (born Jan. 1879, Kansas), Milton H. Mills (born Jan. 1883, Arkansas), Robert L. Mills (born Sept. 1886, Indian Territory), Benjamin H.  Mills (born Jan. 1888, Indian Territory), Perry H. Mills (born March 1895, Indian Territory), Nettie Mills (born Oct. 1891, Indian Territory), and Lena Mills (born 1893, Indian Territory).  William L. Mills supposedly served in both the Union and the Confederate Army as a bugler during the Civil War.

William L. Mills and family migrated to Kansas in 1879; the city of Pierce in Lawrence County, Missouri in 1880; then they moved to Arkansas in 1883. William L. Mills and family later migrated to Chickasaw Nation, Indian Territory around 1893; then to Beef Creek, Chickasaw Nation which is now Maysville (Garvin County) around 1899. Evidence of this was found in the Purcell register Newspaper which in the March 17, 1899 paper listed William Mills, Beef Creek as on the jury list for a trial. The March 21, 1899 paper stated that "on Tuesday morning N. L. Byers and William Mills presenting good excuses, both were excused from further service on the grand jury."  William Mills then bought a house in Lexington, Oklahoma on August 20, 1901 that included 160 acres.  William Mills purchased the land from M. O. James, Fred James, Frank P. Mosley and Sarah Mosley for $1800 dollars.  On December 2, 1902 William Mills and Mary Jane Mills took a mortgage out on their property. 

William Mills died on July 26, 1903 in Lexington, Oklahoma.  Mary Jane Mills took out an Oil and Gas agreement with Pittsburg Oil and Gas Company in September 1, 1904.  She probably needed the money after her husbands death.  In 1906 Mary Jane Mills acted as administrator of her husbands estate in January 1906 and had her property appraised and then took out a first mortgage on the property in June 29, 1906.  Mary Jane Mills later moved to Clovis, New Mexico to spend her final days.  She died in February, 1908 and was buried in the LaLande Cemetery which is 7 miles east of Ft. Sumner in New Mexico. News of her death reached Lexington, Oklahoma a few months later whereby the local newspaper began legal notices requesting an administrator and notice of sale of land of her property in Lexington, Oklahoma.  William and Mary J. Mills children got together and purchased the land that was in Lexington, Oklahoma.  All records for documentation were obtained from Cleveland County Courthouse located in Norman, Oklahoma.

William D. Mills was born November 9, 1872 in Greene County, Tennessee. William D. Mills was a woodworker by occupation and married Sarah Frances Harper (born September 17, 1875 in Greene County, Missouri), September 3, 1893 in Stillwater (Payne County), Oklahoma.  Sarah's father Haywood Lewis Harper was born in Georgia.  Sarah's mother Hanna Elizabeth Newberry (believed to part Indian) was born in Arkansas.  William and Sarah Mills later settled in Indian Territory, Ottawa Nation in the town of Miami.  They had six children: Ruth May Mills (born May 17, 1895), Lillie Uella Mills (born March 29, 1897), Clifton Leo Mills (born March 18, 1901), Virgie Lucille Mills (born August 7, 1903), Ernest Cleo Mills (born February 2, 1911) and Claude M. Mills (born June 27, 1905).

The following obtiuaries appeared in the Miami-News Herald:
W. D. Mills Dies at Vinita Hospital - W. D. Mills, 53 years old 612 K. Street Northwest, died Friday at the Vinita Hospital.  He leaves his widow, Mrs. Sarah Mills, three daughters, Mrs. Ruth Burwell of Denver, Colorado, Mrs. Lillie Harrison of Miami and Mrs. Virgie Bowles of Kansas City and two sons Clifton Mills of Miami and Leo Mills of the family home.  The funeral was held Saturday afternoon at the home, the Rev. D. S. Pickett, pastor of the Friends Church, officiating. Burial was in G.A.R. cemetery by the Cooper Undertaking Company. - August 30, 1925. (Death Certificate)

Mrs. Sarah Mills - Mrs. Sarah Frances Mills pioneer resident of Miami, died Sunday at the home of a son Ernest Cleo Mills in Blackwell.  She was 81 years old. Born in Greene County; Missouri, Mrs.Mills lived many years in Miami before moving to Blackwell six years ago. She was a member of the Nazarene church in Blackwell. Survivors include another son, C. L. Mills of Miami and three daughters Mrs. Ruth Burwell, Southwest City, Missouri, Mrs. Lillie Harrison, Depew, Oklahoma and Mrs. Virgie Grant of North Miami.  Funeral services will be conducted at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Cooper Mortuary Chapel here.  The Rev. Merle Rice, Miami, will officiate. Burial will be in G.A.R. Cemetery under direction of the Roberts Funeral Home of Blackwell. Grandson will act as Pallbearer. The body will be in state at the Chapel here from noon Wednesday until the funeral hour. - August 12, 1957. (Death Certificate)

                                          

Pictured to the left: Sarah Frances (Harper) Mills with one of her sons Ernest Cleo Mills. Middle: Sarah Frances (Harper) Mills in her later years. Right: Tombstone of Sarah Frances Mills buried in G.A.R. Cemetery in Miami, Oklahoma.

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