Family of William Riley Mills

Family of William Riley Mills (2nd cousin to "our" William Riley)

Addendum: WINTER 2005

Correspondence from Harold Curryer in Oregon, a direct descendant of the William Riley Mills described below has led me to information proving "our" William Riley Mills is a different man than the one who went to Oregon. This William Riley is cousin to "our" William Riley, however. Both were born in Washington County AR but one year apart. The William Riley shown below is the son of John Beales Mills, son of Isaac, son of Aaron. Aaron was also the father of Seth who was the father of Enos, so the two William Riley's were second cousins.

FALL 2000

I just got back from researching in Salt Lake and I have found a William Riley Mills in Oregon! Of interest is that Sylvester Massey, who took care of the legal details for the family after Enos died in 1849 intestate is living adjacent. I found papers on the family that suggest many of them went west with "gold fever." I have found several indications of John Brackin Mankins (Edith's father) in Mariposa, Tulare and Cash Creek Township, Yolo Counties, CA. I also had found marriage records for a Lydia Mills in Mariposa; but there was nothing easy evident to establish her as the Lydia who is sister to Martha Jane and Lucinda Charity and William Riley. Still, the lust for "them that hills" remains apparent in the family.

Here is what I found:

1870, Jackson Co. OR; Applegate P.O.; Enumeration #846/826 - 3 August

NAME	AGE	SEX	COLOR	OCCUP.	P.O.B.	BIRTH MONTH	ATT. SCHOOL
MILLS, William R	29	male	white	Farmer	Arkansas *
MILLS, Adaline	28	female	white	Keeping House	Illinois
MILLS, Margaret M.	10 **	female	white		Oregon		X
MILLS, Susan J.	6	female	white		Oregon
MILLS, Martha A.	3	female	white		Oregon
MILLS, Rosa E.	7/12	female	white		Oregon	Oct

* noted as US citizen over the age of 21

** the fact that Margaret was born in Oregon and is age 10 suggests the family was in Oregon by 1860...

1880, Josephine Co., OR; Williamsburg Precinct; Enumeration #77/81 - 1 June

NAME	COLOR	SEX	AGE	RELAT.	CIVIL COND.	OCCUP.	ATT. SCHOOL	CAN'T WRITE	P.O.B.	FATHER P.O.B.	MOTHER P.O.B.
MILLS, William R.	white	male	39		married	Farm laborer *			AR	KY	KY
MILLS, Adaline	white	female	38	wife	married	Keeping House			IL	KY	KY
MILLS, Susan J.	white	female	16	daughter			X		OR	AR	IL
MILLS, Martha A.	white	female	12	daughter			X	X	OR	AR	IL
MILLS, Rosa E.	white	female	10	daughter			X	X	OR	AR	IL
MILLS, John B.	white	male	7	son			X	X	OR	AR	IL
MILLS, Julia A.	white	female	5	daughter					OR	AR	IL

* noted as unemployed 6 mos.

SOURCE: "The Mills Family History and other early Quaker Arrivals" by Paul Mills; data contributed by Edna L. Koch (Portland, OR) and Frances Meltebeke (Springfield, OR).

NAME	BIRTH	LOCATION	DEATH	LOCATION	MARRIAGE	LOCATION	SPOUSE
William Riley Mills [1]	29 January 1841	Washington County, Arkansas	1884	likely Oregon/Washington	1859		Adaline/Adeline Miller [2]
Margaret Matilda Mills [3]	1 June 1860	Jackson/Josephine County, Oregon				6 July 1879	Marshall F. Woody
W. P. Mills	8 December 1861	Jackson/Josephine County, Oregon	1869	Jackson/Josephine County, Oregon
Susan J. Mills [4]	11 July 1864	Jackson/Josephine County, Oregon			Klickitat, Washington	16 January 1882	Marion D. Bunnell
Martha A. Mills [5]	28 August 1867	Jackson/Josephine County, Oregon	31 December 1937				Frank E. Brown
Rosa Ellen Mills [6]	13 December 1870	Jackson/Josephine County, Oregon	9 June 1954			12 April or 9 May 1885	Meredith Lusby [7]
John B. Mills	11 August 1872	Jackson/Josephine County, Oregon				1895	Lillie Busey
Julia Ann Mills [8]	13 October 1875	Jackson/Josephine County, Oregon	8 October 1921			24 January 1889	George W. Rhoads [9]
Daniel Posey (later changed to Webster) Mills [10]	24 February 1877	Jackson/Josephine County, Oregon	25 August 1962			1904	Lulu Maretta Busey [11]
James R. Mills	5 August 1880	Jackson/Josephine County, Oregon
Samuel Lesley Mills	24 August 1884	Jackson/Josephine County, Oregon					Sadie Vernon

[1] William and family are found in 1870 in Jackson County, Oregon then in 1880 in neighboring Josephine County, Oregon - all info matches! If anyone can help establish more info on this line, especially the whereabouts of William's mother, Edith Mankins Mills or any of the rest of his siblings, I would love to hear from you!

[2] Adaline Miller b. 17 April 1842, Illinois, daughter of Daniel Posey & Cynthia Miller

[3] Children of Margaret Matilda Mills and Marshall F. Woody are: Leslie Woody, Tom Woody, Susan Woody (m. Mils Hutchinson)

[4] Children of Susan J. Mills and Marion D. Bunnell are: Ben Bunnell (m. Mona Hall), Chester Bunnell (m. Ann ?)

[5] Children of Martha A. Mills and Frank E. Brown are: Addie M. Brown (m. 1] Ed Coleman, 2] Frank Fergerstrom, 3] Joe Lawson); Frank E. Brown (m. La Vera Middebrok); Grace Gladys Brown b. 10 March 1891 (m. Spencer King Bain); Beulah La Verne Brown b. 8 July 1904 (m. 1]Norman R. Mohns, 2] Frank J. Dobmier)

[6] Children of Rosa Ellen Mills and Meredith Lusby are: William Riley Lusby b. 8 April 1886 (m. Ivy Belle Mason 26 June 1907); Mamie Lusby b. 14 February 1888 (m. Arthur Davis 26 February 1908); Nona Lusby b. 2 June 1890?(m. Guy Garfield Ellsworth); Nellie Lusby (m. John Scouller); Elva Ellen Lusby b. 1893 (m. 1] W. Wolfe 5 October 1909 2] Emmet Gratz Davis 2 June 1914); Alma Lusby (m. Alvin Day 25 March 1904); Ruby Lusby b. 21 March 1900 (m. Charles Wiley Busey 1916); Clayton E. Lusby b. 13 May 1903 d. 12 February 1962 Seattle, Washington.

[7] Meredith Lusby b. 11-15 December 1847, son of John M. and Mary Elizabeth Hazelwood Lusby, d. 3 March 1917, Yakima, Washington

[8] Children of Julia Ann Mills and George W. Rhoads are: George Isaac Rhoads b. 9 March 1891 d. 13 July 1916 (m. Edna Hazel Sproul 1914 Independence, Oregon); William Riley Rhoads b. 7 March 1893 d. November 1944 (m. Elsie Viola Sproul 6 May 1917, Yakima, Washington); Henry Lee Rhoads b. 14 July 1895 d. 12 January 1956; Rosabelle Rhoads b. 26 september 1897 d. October 1919 (m. Walter Bryan 26 September 1917, Sprague, Washington; Esther May Rhoads b. 6 May 1900 (m. James s. Clements 25 November 1919 Bellingham, Washington); John Freeman Rhoads b. 25 may 1903 d. 23 February 1975 (m. Rose Elmyra Jaynes 27 February 1923, Seattle, Washington)

[9] George W. Rhodes b. 1870 d. 12 January 1944 Klickitat, Washington

[10] Children of Daniel (Posey) Webster and Lulu Maretta Busey Mills are: Delma Blossom Mills b. 1905 d. 1960 (m. Frank Spuler 1925 - children: Francis, Doris and Shirley Jean); Mary Crystal Mills b. 1906 (m. Gust. Anderson 1930); Nellie Marie Mills b. 1909 (m. 1926 Harry Reinkens - children: John D., Richard A., David B.); Zelman Victor Mills b. 1911 (m. Dorothy Volz 1936 - children: Vicki, Sharon, Charlotte, Sandra, Janet, Danielle); Lulu Maretta Mills b. 1913 (m. 1] Virgil s. Tinder 1930 [d. 1952] - son: Michael C. 2] Louis Provo 1953); John Daniel Mills b. 1917 d. 1945 (m. Vina Davis 1937 - children: Roger, Dennis); Richard Douglas Mills b. 1925 d. 1925 Pasco, Washington; William Franklin Mills b. 1929 d. 1945 Aberdeen Washington.

[11] Lulu Maretta Busey b. 1882 d. 11 November 1962, daughter of William F. and Mary Sheets Busey