Edgar Mills 1881 - 1961
Edgar was the son of John Mills (1849-1928) and Mary J. Pruitt (1847-1923). He was born 15 December 1881 in Gallatin County, Illinois, USA.
Edgar married Lula Ethel Leard (1894-1937) between 1910 and 1914 in Wayne County, Mississippi. They had the following children:
James Gordon "Gordon" Mills (1914-2002)
Harmon Victor "H.V." Mills (1916-2007)
Edgar first appeared in the census records with his parents in 1900 in Omaha Township in Gallatin County. He was already a soldier, having lied about his age the year before to enlist in the U.S. Army just before the end of the Spanish American War. (census image here)
The following information (as best I could transcribe it, I believe I was able to make out all the handwriting correctly) is from the U.S. Army enlistment register that was recorded for Edgar:
Name: Mills, Edgar; Enlisted Date: 1 February 1899; Enlistment Place: Indianapolis, Indiana; Enlisted by: Captain Black; Enlistment Period: 3 (years); Born Where: Omaha, Illinois; Age: 21 1/2 (NOT -- see note above); Occupation: Farmer; Eyes: Blue; Hair: Light Brown; Complexion: Ruddy; Height: 5'5 1/2"; Regiment: Artillery B; Remarks: Discharged 31 January 1902 at Fort Baker, California, by expiration service. Private, excellent. U.S. Army Enlistment Records
According to oral tradition Edgar bought land with a partner in New Mexico in 1901, but that whatever purpose the land was bought for did not succeed. Given what Edgar had done so far (other than his Army service) and what his family had been doing for many decades, I would guess he bought farmland, but have no way of knowing. This does lead us to the next time Edgar showed up in the census, in 1910 in Roosevelt County, New Mexico. He was the only person listed in the household. (census image here)
Between 1910 and 1914 Edgar moved to Wayne County, Mississippi and married Lula Leard. Both of their sons were born in Mississippi, but they didn't stay there, moving away in 1916. Edgar had bought some land in Mississippi, possibly as much as 750 acres. It is not clear to me if they moved directly to Ohio or moved to Arkansas and then Ohio, but the 1918 draft registration records place Edgar in Summit County, Ohio, and the 1920 census found the couple and their two boys in the same place. (Draft registration image here) (census image here)
After the family moved to Ohio Edgar got a job at the Goodyear Tire Company, and apparently Lula also got a job working for their competition, B.F. Goodrich. The couple owned a house in Cuyahoga Falls in Summit County. Edgar held onto the land he owned in Mississippi until 1927, when he sold it to one of his ex-neighbors in Mississippi. At some point the couple started having marital problems, this may have led to a decision to leave Ohio in 1929 and move to Randolph County, Arkansas, where they bought approximately 80 acres of land. This is where they showed up in the 1930 census in Roanoke Township (the census records don't indicate whether it was West Roanoke Township or East Roanoke Township). (census image here)
Edgar and Lula separated after 1930 but did not divorce. Their property was split up, Lula got the land in Arkansas and Edgar kept the house in Ohio, which they had not sold before they moved (Edgar later sold the house, apparently before 1940). Gordon married Ruby Mae Fullington in 1930 and later moved to Los Angeles, California. Lula died in 1937 and was buried in Fairview Cemetery in Randolph County. After Lula's death her property was inherited by Gordon and H.V.
By 1940 I believe Edgar, Gordon and H.V. were all living in California. I don't know exactly where Edgar was but Gordon and H.V. were both living in or near Los Angeles. H.V. went into the U.S. Marine Corps in November 1940; Gordon stayed in Los Angeles for quite some time and was living in Granada Hills until the late 1950s. Towards the end of his life Edgar was living with his son Gordon and Gordon was taking care of him. Gordon moved to Coos County, Oregon before 1961 and Edgar came with him; that's where Edgar died on 11 March 1961. He is believed to be buried in or near Bandon, Oregon, but I have not found exactly where yet.
The "oral tradition" cited on this page is mainly from a series of conversations with Edgar's son H.V. that took place in 2003. I found it interesting that the only relatives on his father's side of the family that H.V. was aware of were Edgar's brother Leander, Edgar's uncle Lee, Edgar's sister-in-law Grace Duty Mills, and Edgar's cousin Glenn Fielden and Glenn's wife Freda. H.V. said that Edgar's father was born near Cynthiana, Indiana, but apparently did not know his name (John). Fortunately this was enough information to follow the line up, although Edgar's habit of lying about his age (apparently this did not end when he enlisted in the Army) muddied the trail several times since the ages he gave on the 1920 and 1930 censuses were three years off in opposite directions. I suspect that H.V.'s brother Gordon knew more about the family genealogy but he died the year before this line of research was initiated. Gordon's name was on the list of descendants of Thomas and Lucretia Barton Mills that was compiled by Marie Mills Millspaugh in 1965. I don't know if he ever saw that list because the address they listed for him was an old address as of 1965, he should have already been living in Oregon by then, so if that information was mailed to him he may not have received it.
Other Links
Edgar Mills page at Find A Grave (memorial only per the note above since his burial location is unknown)
Contact us
Return to Mills-Miller Family Tree
Return to Online Trees Page
Return to Families Page
Return to Genealogy Pages
Return to Main Page