Virgil A. Mills 1856 - 1927
Virgil was the son of Thomas Mills (1825-1908) and Lucretia Barton Mills (1828-1910). He was born 13 January 1856 in Posey County, Indiana, USA.
We first see Virgil in the 1860 census in Robinson Township in Posey County. For some unknown reason, he and his brother Fielden were not living at home when this census was taken, they were staying with their mother's cousin William Barton's family. Apparently because of this, the census taker erroneously thought Virgil and Fielden were part of the Barton family and entered their last names incorrectly on the census. (census image here) (View neighbors in HTML)
As of the 1870 census, Virgil and most of his family were still living in Robinson Township. (census image here) (View neighbors in html)
Virgil married Mittilder Allyn (1858-1950) in Posey County on 7 November 1878. They had the following children:
Carrie Mills (1881-1976)
Mary Lucretia Mills (1888-1888)
Virgil and Mittilder appeared in the 1880 census in New Haven, Gallatin County, Illinois. Mittilder's name is not listed correctly in the census, her name is given as Elizabeth, but I believe this is an error. (census image here)
Carrie was not born yet when the 1880 census happened, and by the time the 1900 census was taken she was already out of the house, having married Timothy Downen (1880-1965). The census lists a 29 year old named Oliver Rodgers living with Virgil and Mittilder, Oliver is listed as a hired hand. They are listed as being in Ridgway, Gallatin County. (census image here)
By the time of the 1910 census apparently Virgil and Mittilder were divorced. Virgil was living with his sister Mary Jane and brother-in-law John Grumley in Asbury Township, Gallatin County. Perhaps tellingly, he refers to himself in the census as a widower, when in fact he was actually just divorced. Mittilder by this time was living with their daughter Carrie and son-in-law Tim Downen in Ridgway, but she listed her status as divorced. (census image here)
By 1920 Virgil had moved to Eldorado in Saline County, Illinois. There is a wife named Mary listed with him, I have not been able to determine if this was in fact Mittilder (assuming the two of them were reconciled enough to be living in the same house, even if they were divorced) or if it is a different person. (census image here)
On 3 April 1927 Virgil died in Eldorado and was buried in Old Cottonwood Cemetery, Cottonwood, Asbury Township, near his parents Thomas and Lucretia. Mittilder died in 1950, also in Eldorado, and in spite of any estrangement they may have suffered in life, was buried next to Virgil in Old Cottonwood.
From the History and Families of Gallatin County Illinois, Volume I, 1988:
[Virgil and Matilda] moved to a farm one mile east of his brothers, John and Romelia Mills' farms in Section 3 in Ridgway Township of Gallatin County, Illinois.
Virgil was active in the politics of Gallatin County. He was elected sheriff for two terms. The first term was from Dec. 1, 1902 through Dec. 3, 1906. He served as deputy sheriff the following term of Dec. 3, 1906 through 1910. His second term of sheriff was from Dec. 7, 1914 through Dec. 1, 1918.
Other Links
Virgil Mills page at Find A Grave
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